I interviewed Ariana a few weeks before the performance of Ohaki, and she was extremely lovely, and softly spoken. However when on stage performing, Ariana transformed, she held a certain presence, she somehow presented herself as both gentle and kind, yet strong and important at the same time. Her songs were sung softly yet carried incredible strength with cultural importance and historical meaning. Wearing a traditional Maori garment made of ti kumu by Ranui Ngarimu, Ariana pulled on heartstrings as she performed her beautiful cultural work of art.

Ohaki involved several talented musicians alongside Ariana, which was also accompanied visually by two young women performing traditional dances with traditional taonga such as rakau, mere and poi. Louise Potiki Bryant’s visual work successfully added another effective level of cultural communication. Behind the stage was a simple backdrop where Louise’s visual imagery was projected throughout the duration of the show. This involved images of land, whanau, and Ariana herself. Even for those in the audience who could not understand Te Reo, Ariana’s messages and themes were made clear through emotional performance and fantastic visual imagery.

Many of Ariana’s songs were very traditional, and Richard Nunn’s performance with the taoko puoro added to this authentic performance. A slight surprise perhaps to some, may have been Ariana’s less traditional songs such as Rainbow Song. There were a number of up-beat, funky songs in which Ariana infused tradition with various genres such as jazz and funk which resulted in a fresh yet culturally flavoured sound. These songs were fantastic, proving that history and Maori performance doesn’t always have to be serious and completely traditional.

Returning to the stage for one last song, Ariana performed her track Tuia which I believe to be undoubtedly the most amazing number of the night. Tuia was performed so beautifully yet staunch, and had a heavy impact leaving the audience in a stunned silence. Red lights threw the stage into a ferocious glow while the shell horn blown by Richard Nunn’s floated out into the audience like a powerful cloud, mesmerizing everyone it came across. During Tuia, Ariana’s voice held you in awe of the unavoidable emotion felt during the hauntingly beautiful final performance of the night.

Ariana Tikao’s Ohaki - performed Sunday July 26th at the Telstra Clear Club - was unforgettable. Endeavouring to communicate the dying words of her ancestor Tamati Tikao, Ariana put on a display of traditional excellence, intense historical meaning, and beautifully crafted music. Her lyrics sung in Te Reo were understandable through many elements involving presence, music, and visual imagery. The emotion felt during Ohaki was undeniable as Ariana performed with such a great amount of love and respect for those who came before her and those who surround her now. Ohaki was an important journey through the past, the present and into the future, it was a beautiful journey that everybody can learn from.