This band pop up from time to time amongst Kiwi beat diggers, the anomaly being how does a band in the US end up with a name like that? Chris Bourke has posted up audio of one of their more popular songs, he tells the story...
"The New Zealand Trading Company actually only traded in the United States. The band evolved out of the Maori Hi-Quins and other Maori showbands of the 1960s. The most prominent member was bass guitarist Thomas Kini, who left New Zealand in 1959 aged 16 to play with the Hi-Quins.
At the time of his death aged 61 in 2004, he had become a prominent musician based in the Chicago area. (Many Maori showband musicians settled in the US after their cabaret heyday was over.) Kini worked with artists such as Duke Ellington, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Minnie Ripperton and Herbie Hancock.
The New Zealand Trading Company released just one album, in 1970, on the Memphis label. Most of the songs are co-written by Thomas Kini, plus two by Alberto Carrion. But the song which keeps getting requested on specialist Maori programmes on New Zealand public radio is their cover of "Hey Jude".
The New Zealand Trading Company released just one album, in 1970, on the Memphis label. Most of the songs are co-written by Thomas Kini, plus two by Alberto Carrion. But the song which keeps getting requested on specialist Maori programmes on New Zealand public radio is their cover of "Hey Jude".
No comments:
Post a Comment