Hina has become a go-to musician for some of Aotearoa’s finest artists over the past few years. It was wonderful to see her as the main event, bringing to life songs from her sublime debut album Descending Dreams.
Accompanied by an impressive band which included Dave Khan on guitar, Fen Ikner on bass, Hamish Morgan on drums and Francesca Parussini on keyboards, Hina wove her way, in sequence, through the album. Highlights included the Silver Scroll nominated Coucou!, the single South Pacific Sun and a stunning version — my personal favourite — Hollywood Graves.
Despite being a cold winter Thursday night in Tāmaki Makaurau, a sizeable crowd filled the beautiful Kāhui St David’s church in Grafton to witness a special evening.
Na’amah
Na’amah set the atmosphere for the night with her beautiful Joni Mitchell tinged songs, which filled the high-vaulted room of this beautiful venue. Performing solo, with impeccable vocals ranging from intimate to soaring, made her set exceptional.
Hina
Every so often there’s a gig where an artist crosses over into the consciousness of the wider community – Reb Fountain at the Mercury theatre springs to mind, so having Reb present flowers to Hina at the end of the evening felt more than a beautiful gesture – a passing of the torch. In Hina’s words, this album, although a joy to perform, was “a grind to make.” Sometimes you have to dig long and hard to find gold, but the night made that journey worth every moment.
Review and photography by Greg Haver
Discover more from Red Raven News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.