Renowned Māori DJ Lady Shaka whipped out an absolute classic Te Reo house remix during her Matariki celebration gig in London.
‘Lady Shaka & Friends’ took place this past weekend at ‘Colour Factory’ nightclub and holy hecka it looked like an epic time judging from all the footage posted by the artists.
Iconic Te Reo songs, such as Oceania's 'Kotahitanga' and the breakbeats remix of it, were blasted through the speakers as some stunning poi dancers take the stage alongside her.
In her own Instagram post, Lady Shaka thanked the crowd for showing up and honouring her heritage.
“He aroha mutunga kore kia koutou e tae atu,” she said. “Thank you everyone who came to Colour Factory to celebrate Matariki the Māori New Year at Lady Shaka & Friends.”
“I feel so blessed and honoured to have shared my culture, people, community and family with you all. Ngā mihi nunui to all the beautiful performers.”
Fellow Māori DJ Aroha was also on the lineup, and she shared clips of some more awesome tunes she whipped out on the night.
“Wow London you blew my mind,” she wrote. “Lady Shaka & Friends was a dream gig.”
“It’s so incredible to see Pacific communities bonding together even on the other side of the world, in celebration of Matariki, the Māori new year. Mauri ora!”
Earlier this year, Lady Shaka set a goal to ‘re-indigenise club culture’, which she talked about in a beautifully written and insightful newsletter for Boiler Room.
She shares how her culture is at the heart of her creative process and is at the forefront of her ambitions, being one of the few internationally recognised Pasifika DJs.
“In the past few years, before I would get on stage I would draw a marking of a Gogo (seagull) on my left cheek as a form of protection and acknowledgement of my Pacific ancestry but also to embody the freedom of the Gogo,” she wrote.
“My goal as an artist is to carry my people with and this marking is a constant reminder as to why I do what I do as an artist.”
It’s safe to say with how that London gig looked, she’s doing the mahi needed to accomplish her goal.
