The Koi Boys debut album “Meant To Be” has been crowned the highest selling New Zealand album of 2017. Now the winners say the financial future for indigenous music in a mainstream market looks promising.
The unmistakable melodies of the boy band say there is a new force emerging.
Koi Boys member Danny Faifai told Te Kāea, “The Polynesian lane is really starting to come through now, and I think that's a great thing now. That's a great thing to be a part of that.”
The physical presence of the numerous Polynesian cultures were front and centre at the Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards last night, and rightfully so. The winners of the Highest Selling Album category, the Koi Boys, say mainstream music circles are beginning to take heed of indigenous sounds and musical offerings.
“Starting to recognise, you know, that our people have got a lot of talent that they can share with everyone and it's not just one lane of people that get recognised.”
Beating out Six 60, Prince Tui Teka, nominated for his posthumous album E Ipo: The Best of. And even Lorde herself - who ended up winning a total of six Tuis, taking home the album, single and artist of the year.
Koi Boys member Nuz Ngatai says, “Our name wasn’t even called up so we were like "oh we're not going to get that."
But that's exactly what they got last night.
Koi Boys member Kevin Keepa says, “We've got a new album coming out - "Shake It", we've taken songs from the 30s, 20s, put a little bit of a twist on it - and RnB groove to it and what is it? a groove swing to it.”
First emerging on to the music scene in 2016, it seems the boys are looking at taking it to another level
Ngatai says, “You would only think the Americans would be coming up with it. But the Polynesians are really coming through, so proud to be a Polynesian.”
The band returned to Australia today to continue working towards a third studio album.