Ché-Fu & The Kratez and the Auckland Philharmonia

New Zealand's loved and celebrated hip-hop and R&B singer Ché-Fu, his band The Kratez, and the Auckland Philharmonia celebrate Matariki with their big combined concert at the Auckland Town Hall. 

Each year for Matariki Auckland's premium orchestra, the Auckland Philharmona, invites one of New Zealand's leading non-classical musicians to play with them.  

Ché-Fu is one of New Zealand’s most successful and beloved recording artists, with more top ten songs than any individual in the country’s music history. He is considered a pioneer of hip hop and Pasifika music in Aotearoa.

Ché-Fu holds an order of merit; he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014 for his contribution to New Zealand music. He’s released songs in a range of genres, including Hip-Hop, Soul and R&B, and is a founding member of New Zealand's funk-rock band Supergroove. 

 The band members of the Kratez are:

Ché Fu (vocals & turntables)
Malcolm Lakatani (guitar)
Semi Leo (electric bass)
Pena Te’evale (drums)
Mike Tunai (keyboards)
Loxmyn McDonald-Ness (samples / saxophone)
Hoani Kakē (backing vocals)
Special guest vocalist: Aaradhna

So many musicians on stage require a conductor, and in this concert that's David Kay. 

To open the concert, the Auckland Philharmonia play Christopher Blake's fanfare Auckland!!!.

As a contrast, here are Ché-Fu and The Kratez with Roots Man from the album Navigator. Then the orchestra join the band for Machine Talk from Ché-Fu's first album 2b S.Pacific.

Now the band launches into a performance of the Hip-Hop track The Abyss. It's followed by another two big songs by Ché-Fu: Lightwork and Hoodies.

Part of the Hip-Hop sound is the use of turntables and scratching. Here is Ché-Fu at the turntables with the Auckland Philharmonia playing Allegretto from Palladio by Karl Jenkins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here now are two more songs from Ché-Fu's debut album 2b S.Pacific. Chains, which won Single of the Year in 1997 at the New Zealand Music Awards, and then Waka. 

In 2006 Ché-Fu wrote a hit with NZ singer Aaradhna. Here they are to sing Spin 1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And to finish the concert, here are four more songs from the celebrated album Navigator, which won Album of the Year in 2002 at the New Zealand Music Awards:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recorded at the Auckland Town Hall on 27/06/2024. 
Recording Engineer: Rangi Powick
Mix Engineer: Adrian Hollay, Rangi Powick
Producer: Adrian Hollay