On 10 February 2025, news broke about the passing of Māori singer-songwriter, performer, director, and producer Toni Huata. During her lifetime, she released seven albums that effortlessly connected her deep commitment to te ao Māori and te reo Māori with her love and passion for jazz, soul, R&B, opera and an equally diverse array of styles of modern electronic music: downbeat, jazzy jungle/drum and bass, trance, house and beyond. Through and through, she was a lover of music and culture who served as a living bridge between worlds.
Toni Huata looking to the Sun at Whitireia Park, Porirua - Stephen A'Court
Originally from Hastings in Hawke’s Bay, Toni’s tribal affiliations were Ngāti Kahungunu and Rongowhakaata iwi. She was also of Lebanese, Welsh, and Irish descent. Music allowed Toni to perform up and down Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu and further abroad throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, the United States, the South Pacific, Australia, and Asia. Outside of performing, Toni held governance roles in Taki Rua Productions, Pūatatangi, and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Whanganui ā Tara. In more recent years, she was also the Kaihautu Puoro Māori (director of Māori Music) at SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music.
In a 2012 interview for New Zealand Musician magazine about her fourth studio album, Hopukia, Toni made a striking statement about her end game as a musician. “It is about making your dreams happen in a good way. Make sure the people that you work with are your friends and your family, and at the end of the day, you do it so that you are still respectful of them. You treat other people well, and others will treat you well. It comes with a bit of maturity and experience as well. You might be a solo artist, but you never do something alone. It is a group effort. It is a family effort. It is for everyone involved. For me, it is important to remember that. I always look at the joy of everyone coming together with their talents for a purpose that is bigger than any one individual.”
Using this sentiment as a guiding light, we have gathered stories and remembrances from 12 members of her extended musical world. Today, yesterday, tomorrow, and in the days to come, our thoughts are with Toni’s whānau, friends, community and listeners. – Martyn Pepperell
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Gareth Farr
In 2005, I was involved as a composer in the stage show Māui – One Man Against The Gods. Toni Huata was cast as the formidable goddess ‘Hine Nui te Pō’ and opened the show with a colossal Karanga over the top of my (very loud!) turgid, rumbling soundtrack.
The first time we tried it, I nearly fell over from Toni’s astonishing vocals – it was the most powerful and emotional moment for me. After that, she and I became friends and colleagues and worked on many original songs, which have appeared on her numerous albums, including the recent track ‘Hopukia Te Tao’.
Toni was one of the most wonderful collaborators I’ve ever had the honour of working with. She was always ready with ideas and happy to listen to mine. She could also sing pretty much anything I wrote for her, including some seriously tricky stuff, and always brought this all-encompassing aroha to the process and the project.
Toni – I will miss you terribly – as a friend and beautiful colleague. Ngā mihi tino nui Toni – ka nui te aroha, e hoa.
Gareth Farr ONZM is a New Zealand composer, percussionist, Arts Laureate, and multiple Chapman Tripp award winner.
Vanessa Stacey
I had the pleasure of knowing Toni through several different iterations of our lives: as an artist, as her publicist, and as a friend. I always found her one of the warmest, most generous and loving people in the community. She was always there to support other people’s kaupapa and share her joy for their successes.
We’re fortunate that our Māori female vocalists are very tight and close, but Toni’s passing leaves a real void for us. She is a huge loss to the community and as a friend, but she will always be remembered. Toni was the producer of The Pūatatangi Committee of Toi Māori Aotearoa’s Pao Pao Pao music showcase. Kirsten Te Rito and I are on the board and hope to continue her mahi by supporting it.
I love Toni dearly and wish she had been here with us for longer, but I have no doubt she is looking over her whanau, her beautiful children and her lovely partner, Adrian Wagner.
Vanessa Stacey (she/her) is a Wellington-based musician, producer, actor, writer and director with over 20 years of experience in creative arts and education. At present, she is the director of the NZ Fringe Festival.
Tehimana Kerr
One of my best memories of Toni Huata was my first performance with her at the Botanic Gardens in Wellington. She had just released her first album, Te Māori E. I helped compose a few of the songs and played on the album.
We were all at the back of the stage, dressed in traditional clothes, etc. When it came time to perform, I couldn’t get over how professional and precise Toni was on stage. She blew me away. Toni was what I called pernash (really flash). I felt so proud to be a part of that. It was special.
Tehimana Kerr, aka Jetlag Johnson, is a guitarist based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa. In addition to playing with Fat Freddy’s Drop and recording his own solo material, he has worked with The Nomad, Pacific Heights, Mad Professor, Rhian Sheehan, 50Hz, Tubbs, and Brother J.
Warren Maxwell
It seems we’re losing too many, too young. Too precious, gone too soon. I think the shock comes from the regret of not keeping in touch enough in this sped-up, crazy world. I have caught myself saying we need Māui to come back and slow down the sun again (and some other redressing deeds). I’m sure this small contribution will reflect the sentiments of many others because that’s who Toni was: fun, caring, kind, super-talented and there when you needed her. I used to feel bad because she had to keep chasing this useless hua to register my works with SOUNZ and keep on top of my composition credits (like the choice aunty she was). Always with someone else in mind. Selfless. Since Toni passed, I’ve been thinking about the term “He piki kōtuku – a precious treasure.” Time is precious, but you gave plenty to the many, sis. That decade, eh? 95-05. I reckon we were smashing it all over the motu!
I think I was in Southside of Bombay when I met you and Adrian. Inspiring. Geez, you fellas were in every moshpit in Aotearoa! Remember the clubs down “Ko-Tēnei-Place” – Tatou, Matterhorn, Paradiso, Opera Bar, Sub-Nine, Shopping, Fidels, Havana Bar, Indigo, Blues Club, Bar Bodega … awesome times. Welly was pumping. Something really awesome happened around that decade; the arts were celebrated and fizzing! Music, film, theatre – he mahi hinātore, he mahi auahatanga! The luxury of hindsight brings many fortunate memories – we were pretty lucky. You were fearless, sis. Leading the way for our next generation, adding feathers to tamariki and rangatahi wings. We’re seeing them all fly now! Mīharo rawa atu!
Still in shock, though, sis. Anyway e te māreikura, rest easy our Kahungunu whetū. I guess that’s one great thing about writing and recording music – your stunning voice and waiata are archived forever. E kore mātou e wareware I a koe e te manu tīoriori o te tini. Never forgotten. Aio ki te rangi. Aoi ki te whenua. Aoi ki ngā mea kātoa. E moe.
Warren Maxwell (Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngai Te Rangi) has been a professional working musician/composer for the better part of two decades (Southside of Bombay, Trinity Roots, Little Bushman and Fat Freddys Drop).
Toni Huata performing at a Wellington City Council Ahi Kā event. - Stephen A'Court
Lisa Tomlins
Toni had a mischievous streak. She was a rebellious spirit, but she was also very whānau-oriented. Toni was a patron of the arts and a huge supporter of Māori arts. I’ve always seen her stand at the forefront of things she was in support of, even at a young age. She was a contradiction in some ways, but she was constantly doing stuff. She had an energy to her that seemed limitless.
When we worked on te reo Māori music projects together, she made a lot of us who had lost our connection to Māoritanga feel like we could still be in the room. She facilitated that for us, and it was really powerful. What she really stood firm in was her contribution to and support of Māori art and artists.
Lisa Tomlins (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Toa) is a longstanding singer-songwriter, backing vocalist, performer and entertainer.
Paddy Free
I had the pleasure and privilege of co-writing and producing two albums with Toni. We worked out a great methodology: I would come and stay at her house in Pōneke, and we’d record in her living room. Toni and her husband Adrian welcomed me into their home and their lives, and when I was there, I was part of the whānau.
Toni had one of the greatest stylistic ranges of any singer I’ve ever met – she could crush gentle, meditative ballads, belt out diva styles, perform fierce haka, and do everything in between. Two tracks we made together, ‘Aio’ and ‘Arise’, are highlights when I play them in my solo live set, with audiences at venues and festivals up and down the country moved by the power, the wairua, and the mana she expressed through her music.
I will miss her greatly. Moe mai rā e Toni.
Paddy Free is one of New Zealand’s best-known electronic musicians. He is one half of Pitch Black and a longstanding solo artist, producer, and engineer. During the 2010s, Free produced several albums for Toni Huata, including Hopukia (2012).
Dallas Tamaira
I first met Toni Huata in 1998 when we worked together on a compilation album called Tangiora, which was funded by Te Māngai Pāho. Looking back, the project was definitely ahead of its time. George Nepia produced it out of his Wellington studio, Flax Wax. I was the young blood thrown in among some of the industry’s best contemporary Māori musicians and songwriters at the time. In my opinion, Toni was at the very top of that list.
It’s fair to say I felt very out of my depth, but Toni made me feel comfortable and welcome in that space. She always had a kind word and showed love for my work. Toni moved gracefully but was a beast of a singer with effortless power and presence. I’m extremely grateful to have met her and worked alongside her on such a life-altering project.
Born in Ōtautahi, of Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Pākehā descent, Dallas Tamaira was raised in the small coastal town of Kaikōura. These days, he’s best known as the vocalist of the iconic New Zealand group Fat Freddy’s Drop. In 2023, he released his first solo EP in 20 years, Levels.
Ariana Tikao
I worked with Toni on a few different occasions. One of the most memorable was when we were soloists for the Aotearoa section of WOW [World of Wearable Art] in 2008. Toni and I sang my Matariki waiata together, dressed in fabulous floor-length gowns and colourful feathered kākahu as dancers dressed as tūī flitted around us. She had a unique and powerful stage presence and was industrious and generous as a person and performer. We also worked on a show together in Melbourne with Ngahiwi Apanui, where we connected with the local Māori community.
Toni has left behind a huge legacy not only as a prominent te reo Māori artist and advocate but also in the mahi she did at SOUNZ. She turned the organisation around from an institution focused on classical music (in the European tradition) to one that is much more aligned with the reality of music in Aotearoa across the spectrum and acknowledges taonga puoro as the classical instruments of this whenua.
I will miss her as a colleague, friend, and fighter for te ao Māori. She had a smile that lit up her whole face and any room she walked into.
Ariana Tikao is a Kāi Tahu Māori singer and taonga puoro musician from Aotearoa New Zealand.
Riki Pirihi
Toni was an extraordinary individual with whom I had the privilege of crossing musical paths numerous times over the past few decades. She was a steadfast champion of what it means to be a Māori musician, navigating the often tumultuous terrain of the music industry with unwavering authenticity and grace. Her kindness, encouragement, and unwavering support left an indelible mark on all of us, and her contributions will not be forgotten.
Moe mai rā, e kuini.
Riki Gooch Pirihi (Ngāti Wai/Ngāti Māhanga Hourua/Patuharakeke) is a freelance multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, academic and sound artist based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa.
Te KuraHuia
Toni Huata was and still is a huge inspiration for me and my career. I look up to her music, her style and how she carried herself. I’ve been a fan of her work for a very long time. As I debuted, I started to notice my style really came from Toni and how she would incorporate her Māori identity within the way she was.
Toni inspired, uplifted, helped, and supported me. Because of that, her talent, her aroha, and the way she carried herself will be forever etched into my heart and soul. She was the role model I want to be for other people. Toni, I will continue to do what you did for me for others because you were exactly what our industry and our people needed.
Ka nui te aroha mōhau e tōku kōka.
Te KuraHuia is a multidisciplinary Māori Pasifika singer-songwriter/rapper, film-maker, cultural performer, performing arts mentor, music producer and model based in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, Aotearoa.
Toni Huata at the Te Whanganui-a-Tara waterfront. - Wellington City Council
Tama Waipara
Kare. Whanaunga. Those were the greetings I got so used to with you, Toni. More akin to a sparkling goddess, you were happy to be the same. It connected us as blood and in the trenches of our mahi, which is where I got to really know you. We met with your handsome husband Adrian, who seemed to have walked straight off a 1930s Hollywood film and into real life. A loving and radiant pair backing each other all the way to infinity and beyond. This happened amidst the backdrop of a grim German mining town called Essen. Even with my mediocre Deutsch, I knew that Essen meant to eat. It seemed like the joy in this place had been devoured long ago. No wonder your light should beam so brightly.
I was living in München on secondment by my record company, transitioning from clarinettist to singer-songwriter. I was only beginning my journey with te reo Māori in my music, whereas you were in full flight, wings extended and uplifted by global currents. This brought you to WOMEX, the World Music Expo, which was our beginning.
Every moment since has been just as generous. Our whakapapa connections deepened and strengthened as we understood the closeness of our Ruapani, Rongowhakaata, Kahungunu, and Te Reinga links. We were cared for and held by all those warriors before us who had given their creativity to the canon of waiata while also putting their hands to the task of making a better pathway for all our Māori musicians still fighting for existence inside an entrenched alien paradigm.
Like all our tuakana and pakeke before us, we picked up the tea towel and got on with the dishes. As co-chair on Puatatangi, a music-focused committee forming part of the advisory ohu for Toi Māori Aotearoa, we got to know and respect each other in a different light. Your strength and upright nature was a world of its own, creating a formidable and impermeable rigour. Unafraid of the hierarchies, patriarchy – you were staunch as. We always had easy kōrero and respectful engagements because it was always underpinned by aroha and the values instilled in us, nā ngā tipuna i tuku iho.
As a board member on SOUNZ I had the joy of meeting Diana Marsh who managed to secure you as the director of Māori Music. SOUNZ had been moving towards this inevitable outcome for some time but it wasn’t really until you brought all the weight and integrity of your knowledge and connections across te ao Māori that this piece of mahi began to soar and fly high.
When I heard you were ill once more and headed to hospice, my heart broke for you e hoa. It broke also for Adrian, your whānau and the dullness of a world left behind without your glorious colour and zest for life in it. When I came to see you there, I enlisted the help of your other tino mete, Mere to choose exactly the right floral arrangement for you. How does one adequately adorn the space of someone whose own shine radiates beyond their mortal frame? Lots of purple for mana wahine and all your iwi connections, not too much fragrance, and well, fabulous. After sitting in the florist on Abel Smith Street for half an hour describing (but not disclosing) the recipient of this particular bouquet, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It was a literal manifestation of any number of your exuberant stage outfits. I thought yes, this is befitting for my friend. As I walked through the door, flowers leading me in, you said, “Oh, kare!” No tatty old gladioli for you!
I will miss you, Toni. In a world where we need our warriors more than ever to show the strength and splendour of our cultural context, to fight the fight as our tipuna, and to share the beauty of who we are through our language, our music, our culture, and our connections, I will miss you, Kare.
Tama Waipara (Rongowhakaata/Ngāti Porou) is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist from Ōpōtiki.
Rio Hemopo-Hunuki
My first memory of Toni is being part of her first album, Te Māori E. What struck me beyond her warm and beautiful self was the immense joy and love she had for te ao Māori and taiao Māori. At the time, she was right in the mix with a group of Māori artists who were pushing for more visibility and accessibility of reo Māori across a range of arts and disciplines. She combined many mediums in that album.
We had a great day shooting the video for the single ‘Ko Wai Ka Hua’ at the old Tatou venue (Now B.Space), where Toni dressed and designed our outfits and the look of the scene. She fussed around the set with her big smile, laugh, and that “aunty” energy that made everyone feel at ease. Thinking back, that may have been the first te reo Māori album I was part of, having only just graduated from jazz school in the early 2000s.
Toni was a beautiful, generous and larger-than-life gift we had in our lives. It’s fitting that her creative and cultural expression of love for Te Ao Māori will remain forever in the collection of taonga Māori for generations to come.
Moe mai rā sis, arohanui.
Rio Hemopo-Hunuki (Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Te Arawa, Niuē) plays the bass and sings in Trinity Roots. He is also the founder and creative director of Koi Digital, a digital storytelling and interactive media agency focused on talent from Aotearoa, Te Wai Pounamu, and the Pacific.
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Toni Huata mixtape at RNZ
A personal tribute by Martyn Pepperell
Maraea Rakuraku visits Toni Huata at her home studio (RNZ, 2014)
Bryan Crump talks to Toni Huata (RNZ, 2023)