Concert Review: Anika Moa, Songs for Bubbas  at The Tuning Fork, 13 June 2021

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Here we are at the Tuning Fork early on Sunday morning for Anika Moa and her Songs for Bubbas Show. And the expectant audience are laughing, running around, crying and taking over the joint. Mood swings faster than a pre-menopausal blonde with a hang-over.

They all snap to attention briefly as Mother-with-a-guitar Anika Moa takes the stage.

We are all here with the children, as Anika kicks off her Songs for Bubbas show, the final act of the Tuning Fork’s eighth birthday celebration.

She has three albums of songs themed for children. Many in te reo maori.

My Nana’s Farm and The Nigh Nighs Song. Singalong Folk tunes with simple and infectious good time rhythms.

Her twin sons Barry and Tane, nine years old, present one which could be an adaptation of the Student’s Every Day of the Week. The lyrics in te reo.

Any apprehension from the children is melting away, but before that there is Animals in My Room. A reverie on childhood fantasy. Dad-with-a-beard Lincoln has been drafted from the audience to play the animal characters. He may be a plant as he does a very effective monkey. Doin’ Mickeys Monkey!

Oma Rapeti and everyone’s on stage. This one takes me back to my childhood, and a young long-haired part-Maori teacher who sang Folk songs with a big acoustic guitar, almost every day. To help keep everyone under control in the afternoon.

Where I heard Dylan (Blowing in the Wind), Peter Paul and Mary (Puff the Magic Dragon), the Seekers (Morningtown Ride) and my favourite My Boy Lollipop. That last one was actually a huge radio hit.

It really was where my lifelong passion for music began. Children respond to music and they recognise good music. Without preconceptions or whether anything is cool or hip or not. Looking way back, 1965 to 1968, everything which captured your ears and your heart still remains great to this day. The start of lifelong addictions to Doo-Wop and Bluegrass.

I feel this would be Anika’s view as well. You need to play well and you can judge how good you are by their honest and open responses.

A Haka Ma sounds like a bit of a tribal field holler. A swinging rhythmic workout. Leadbelly and Woody Guthrie also recorded many children’s songs and gained a deserved reputation for this along with their more familiar repertoire.

Chop Chop Hiyaa tells you exactly that it’s an action song. A Latin Spanish guitar carries the song through.

Tahi Rua Toru Wha is the start to every Ramone’s song and this sounds like a traditional Celtic swing stomp may be buried there deep in the genealogy.

The children were glowing. So were the parents. Some great spirit was sent out to everyone.

Rev Orange Peel 

 

    

Rev Orange Peel
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