20 Facts About Ariana Tikao

Ariana Rahera Tikao was born on 1971 and is a New Zealand singer, musician and author.

Ariana Tikao's works explore her identity as a Kai Tahu woman and her music often utilises taonga puoro.

Ariana Tikao has released three solo albums and collaborated with a number of other musicians.

Ariana Tikao was a recipient of an Arts Foundation Laureate Award in 2020.

Ariana Tikao is of Maori descent through her father, and her iwi is Kai Tahu.

Ariana Tikao attended Lincoln High School, where she performed in school productions.

Much of Ariana Tikao's music explores her identity as a Kai Tahu woman.

Ariana Tikao was tutored in taonga puoro by Richard Nunns and Brian Flintoff, musicians who led the revival of these traditional instruments.

Ariana Tikao's career began in 1993 as a singer with the folk duo Pounamu.

Ariana Tikao released her first solo album, Whaea, in 2002, which was a celebration of motherhood and inspired by her own experiences as a mother of two children.

From 2011 to 2020, Ariana Tikao worked as the Research Librarian, Maori, at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington.

In 2015, in collaboration with Philip Brownlee, Ariana Tikao developed the first concerto for taonga puoro, called Ko Te Tatai Whetu.

Brownlee composed the orchestral framework with Ariana Tikao adding improvisational taonga puoro.

Ariana Tikao has performed it with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Stroma and the Nelson Symphony Orchestra, and was due to perform it with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra in April 2020.

Ariana Tikao is a frequent collaborator with choreographer and dancer Louise Potiki Bryant.

In 2019 Ariana Tikao toured New Zealand performing the dance show Onepu with Potiki Bryant's company Atamira Dance Company; Ariana Tikao composed the soundtrack to the show, together with Potiki Bryant's husband Paddy Free, and performed the role of Hinearoaropari.

In 2019 Ariana Tikao collaborated with Karl Steven on the soundtrack for a documentary called Fools and Dreamers about the Hinewai Reserve.

Ariana Tikao is a member of the Tararua musical quartet together with Ruby Solly, Al Fraser and Phil Boniface.

Ariana Tikao is part of the Maianginui taonga puoro ensemble of women, together with Solly, Te Kahureremoa Taumata and Khali-Meari Materoa.

In 2022 Ariana Tikao collaborated with Ross Calman, her hoa tane, a writer, editor and translator; Matt Calman, Ross's cousin, photographer, writer and former journalist; and ta moko artist Christine Harvey, culminating in the publishing of the book Mokorua: Nga korero mo toku moko kauae: my story of moko kauae.