Aaria

Fusing te reo Māori with mellow R'n'B pop melodies, Aaria emerged in 2001 as lively voices in the Māori music scene. The group was formed from a nationwide search for talented rangatahi to redefine Māori music. TV3 series Manu Tīoriori documented the selection of the five band members: Hayden Weke, Hemi Peke, Te Rau Winterburn, Tomairangi Mareikura and future Māori TV newsreader Amomai Pihama. Their singles 'Cry No More' and 'Kei a Wai Ra te Kupu' both got into the Kiwi top 20. The latter track was nominated for Single of the Year at the 2002 NZ Music Awards.