1. Maisey Rika is a New Zealand singer, songwriter and composer, performing in both English and Maori.
20 Facts About Maisey Rika
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Maisey Rika was named an Arts Foundation Laureate in 2021, has received awards at the Waiata Maori Music Awards and APRA Awards, including APRA Best Maori Songwriter in 2010 and 2013, and has twice won Best Maori Language Album at the NZ Music Awards.
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Maisey Rika was the featured soloist on E Hine, a compilation of Maori traditional songs released in 1997, which went double platinum and won Best Maori Language Album at the NZ Music Awards in 1998, as well as earning her a nomination for Best Female Vocalist, aged 15.
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Maisey Rika attended University of Waikato, where she studied psychology, education and Maori language.
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In 2004, Maisey Rika auditioned to compete on New Zealand Idol, but did not proceed past auditions after choosing to sing in Maori.
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Maisey Rika self-released a self-titled EP in early 2009 sung in English, which charted at No 40 in the NZ Top 40 and drew the attention of film producer Shae Sterling, who was in the process of founding label Moonlight Sounds.
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Maisey Rika's following album, Whitiora, was written in collaboration with her family in te reo Maori, and recorded in Rotorua.
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Maisey Rika travelled with a delegation of 100 artists from New Zealand to Guam for the 12th Festival of Pacific Arts in May 2016, representing Aotearoa.
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In 2016, Maisey Rika released a Christmas album, Tira, featuring a mix of reworked Christmas hymns and new compositions.
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In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Maisey Rika wrote nine songs inspired by the nine stars of Matariki, which she learned about from Maori astronomer Rangi Matamua.
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Maisey Rika joined the inaugural Top 10 Te Reo Maori Singles chart released by Recorded Music NZ on June 21,2021, with her songs "Waiti, Waita" at number 6 and "Hiwa-i-te-Rangi" at number 8.
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Maisey Rika has performed at Matariki celebrations with Annie Crummer, Ria Hall and Betty-Anne Monga as Kahui Whetu.
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In 2014, Maisey Rika was featured on Stan Walker's song "Aotearoa", sung entirely in Maori, which reached number two on the New Zealand Singles Chart.
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In 2019, Maisey Rika collaborated with composer Rob Ruha and performers Majic Paora, Bella Kalolo, Ria Hall, Seth Haapu and Troy Kingi to release "Ka Manu", a single in support of Maori activists occupying Ihumatao.
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Maisey Rika is married to Bossy Hill, with whom she has three sons.
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Maisey Rika received the Jillian Friedlander Te Moana-nui-a-kiwa Award, a $25,000 prize that recognizes outstanding Maori and Pasifika artists.
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Maisey Rika has twice been awarded Best Maori Language Album at the NZ Music Awards, in 1998 for her appearance as a soloist on E Hine and in 2013 for her album Whitiora.
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Maisey Rika was nominated for the APRA Maioha Award for her song "Repeat Offender" in 2009.
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Maisey Rika won the same award in 2013 with Te Kahautu Maxwell, and Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper for their song "Ruaimoko".
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Maisey Rika won APRA Best Maori Songwriter in both 2010 and 2013.