Ardijah


“Time makes the wine, it’s like love, grow stronger”, sings Betty-Anne Monga to a slinky funk groove in the chorus of Ardijah’s best-known original song. If they ever needed an affirmation of self-belief in nearly four decades taking their own genre – Polyfonk – to the clubs and airwaves of New Zealand and the Pacific, they wrote it themselves.

Emerging in the late 1970s, led by Ryan and Betty-Anne Monga, Ardijah has endured endless road miles, late nights, heartbreaks and hurdles to keep their musical vision alive.

Ryan Monga being interviewed by Peter Grace in the Rip It Up office, Darby Street, Auckland, late 1985
Photo credit: Anthony Corban
Ardijah's promotional portrait for their debut release on Pagan, Give Me Your Number, 1986. 
Photo credit: Adrienne Martyn 
Ardijah's Take a Chance album (WEA, 1988) was an expanded version of their self-titled debut the year earlier. 
Ardijah outside Shortland’s Street TVNZ studio in 1985; (left to right) Richie Campbell, Teina Benioni, Betty-Anne and Ryan Monga and Tony Nogotautama
Ardijah, Edgewater resort, Rarotonga, September 1987
Ryan Monga and Billy Kristian, APRA Silver Scrolls, 1997
Photo credit: Murray Cammick Collection
Ardijah (left to right) John “JayDee” Diamond (guitar), Simon Lynch (keyboards), Betty Anne Monga vocals/percussion), Richie Campbell (drums), and Ryan Monga (bass), Papakura YMCA 1987
Ardijah at Tolaga Bay, 2013. From left: Betty-Anne, Ryan and Kaitapu Monga, Rico Tali. 
Photo credit: Ryan Monga collection
Ardijah at the Cordova nightclub, Mangere, 1980. From left: Betty-Anne Monga, Ryan Monga, John Diamond aka Jay Dee, Richie Campbell.
Photo credit: Ryan Monga collection
Ardijah - Silly Love Songs (1999)
Car Crash Set's 'No Accident' video shoot, 1984. L to R: Dave Bulog, Simon Mark-Brown, Nigel Russell, Trevor Reekie, Ryan Monga
Betty-Anne Monga, a portrait by Jocelyn Carlin, 1987
Ardijah perform Your Love Is Blind on Sweet Soul Music (1986)
Ryan and Betty-Anne Monga, 1990s
Ardijah, 1989. From left: Ryan Monga, Barbara Griffin, Betty-Anne Monga, and Trevor Collins. 
Ardijah’s Betty-Anne Monga, Papakura YMCA, 1987
Ardijah’s Tony Nogotautama, Herbs tour, July 1986
Ardijah, 1987: Simon Lynch, Ryan Monga, Betty-Anne Monga, Jay Dee. 
Photo credit: Jocelyn Carlin
Ardijah, (left to right) Betty-Anne Monga, Ryan Monga, Tony Nogotautama, Simon Lynch (and Ryan junior), central North Island, August 1986
Ardijah’s (left to right) Tony Nogotautama, Ryan Monga, and Simon Lynch, September 1987
Kete Arohanui - Ardijah (2006)
Kaitapu Monga plays five-string bass with Ardijah, 2012
Photo credit: Ryan Monga collection
Ardijah, 1987. From left: Simon Lynch, Jay Dee, Ryan Monga, Betty-Anne Monga.
Photo credit: Jocelyn Carlin
Ryan Monga in Car Crash Set, Zanzibar, Fort St. Auckland, New Years Eve 1983/4
Label for side one of Ardijah's debut album, WEA, 1987
The back cover of the Give Me Your Number single, Pagan, 1986. 
Ardijah performing Give Me Your Number, Time Makes A Wine on the first episode of True Colours, 1986
Time was a 1999 album released on Ardijah's own Polyfonk label.
Poster for Rarofest, Cook Islands, 2017
Photo credit: Ardijah collection
Ardijah outside Shortland Street’s TVNZ studio in 1985; (left to right) Richie Campbell, Betty-Anne Monga, Teina Benioni, Ryan Monga, Tony Nogotautama and Simon Lynch
Ardijah, c. 1985. From left: Betty-Anne Monga, Jay Dee Diamond, Ryan Monga, Simon Lynch, and Ritchie Campbell. 
Ardijah: about to appear at Wellington's Exchequers club, 1986
Ardijah filming for Ready To Roll at Avalon studios, Lower Hutt, 1985; (left to right) Betty-Anne Monga, Simon Lynch, Ryan Monga, Richie Campbell, Tony Nogotautama and Teina Benioni.
Photo credit: Simon Lynch
Betty-Anne Monga, Te Rapa Racecourse, December 1988. 
Photo credit: Karen Ford
Ardijah at the Peppermill nightclub, 1982. From left: Paul Drury, Jay Dee, Ryan Monga, James Tuiara, Betty-Anne Monga, Ritchie Campbell. 
Photo credit: Ryan Monga collection
Ardijah tour production meeting; (left to right) Terry (lighting technician), Peter Campbell (band manager), and Mike Smeaton (sound technician), Queenstown February 1987
Ardijah’s Betty-Anne and Ryan Monga, Herbs tour, July 1986
Ardijah’s Betty-Anne Monga, Auckland, September 1987
Ardijah - Give Me Your Number (1986)
Ryan and Betty-Anne Monga, 2000s
Betty-Anne Monga of Ardijah, 2001. 
Ardijah’s Ryan Monga and Tony Nogotautama, Queenstown, February 1987
'Your Love Is Blind' (1985)
Ryan Monga, Rip It Up office, Auckland, 1985
Photo credit: Anthony Corban
Betty-Anne Monga interview, Tagata Pasifika 20th Anniversary Special, 2007
Ryan Monga, Rip It Up office, 1985
Photo credit: Anthony Corban
Ardijah’s Tony Nogotautama and Betty–Anne Monga, September 1987
Betty-Anne and Ryan Monga, 1990s. 
Give Me Your Number - Ardijah's debut single, Pagan, 1986
Ryan Monga, Rip It Up office, Auckland, 1985
Photo credit: Anthony Corban
Betty-Anne Monga, 1987
Ardijah's self-titled debut album, WEA, 1987
Truda Chadwick with Ryan and Betty-Ann Monga from Ardijah
Herbs, Ardijah, Aotearoa and Dread, Beat & Blood. Taken in Whangarei at the last gig of a national tour with all four bands on 29 July 1986. The promoter was Hugh Lynn.
Photo credit: Simon Lynch collection
Betty-Anne Monga of Ardijah on the cover of Rip It Up's 10th anniversary issue, June 1987
Take Me was a 7" and 12" single for Ardijah on WEA in 1989. 
Ryan and Betty-Anne Monga, 2000s. 
Ardijah - Time Makes A Wine (1988)
Ardijah in Taupo, 2013. Rico Tale sings E Ipo, Betty-Anne Monga at right. 
Photo credit: Ryan Monga collection
Ardijah filming for Ready To Roll at Avalon studios, Lower Hutt, 1985; (left to right) Betty-Anne Monga, Simon Lynch, Ryan Monga, Richie Campbell, Tony Nogotautama and Teina Benioni.
Photo credit: Simon Lynch
Ardijah takes the Polyfonk jet to Gisborne, 2012. From left: Betty-Anne Monga, Kaitapu Monga, Rico Tali, Ryan Monga, Karl Benton.
Photo credit: Ryan Monga collection
Side two of Ardijah's self-titled debut album on WEA, 1987. 
Ardijah, 1987: Tony Nogotautama, Ryan Monga, Simon Lynch, Betty-Anne Monga. 
Labels:

Pagan


WEA


Polyfonk

Members:

Betty-Anne Monga - vocals, ukulele, percussion

Ryan Monga - producer, musical director, drums, bass, vocals

Simon Lynch - keyboards

Tony Nogotautama - vocals, guitar

Ryan "Kaitapu" Monga Jr - bass, drums, vocals

Rico Tali - saxophone, flute, ukulele, guitar, vocals

Phil Crown - keyboards, vocals

Karl Benton - keyboards

Kolo Hansen - keyboards

Jay Dee - guitar, vocals

Richie Campbell - drums

James Tuiara - vocals, percussion

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