Aotearoa's only indigenous music expo is expanding its lineup and hopefully its audience with a move northwards.

After three years in Taranaki, Sounds Aotearoa will take place in Auckland on March 10 and 11th as part of this years Auckland Arts Festival 2013.

Chief executive of Auckland Arts Festival, David Inns says the expo has a unique place in the global music scene and he hopes the move to align with the Arts Festival will provide a platform to escalate more Māori and Pacific musicians onto an international stage.

The expo will feature business-networking events, exhibition booths and speaker seminars, as well as special showcases by indigenous musicians and performers.

Sound Aotearoa creative director Emere Wano says showcase artists get the opportunity to perform in front of international and New Zealand programmers, bookers, festival directors, venue managers and a general audience.

“Being a showcase artist is like hosting your own gig for all the right people,” she says.

Organisers say the event also offers key support to Maori musicians, with the speaker seminar series covering practical sessions on music distribution, funding avenues and legal issues within the New Zealand music industry.




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