Whanganui band in the finals of Tangata Beats

The Remnant (from left) Chester Nevil, Cypress Kani-Hurinui, Joshua Waitai and Tokararangi Poa. Absent is Wiremu Rogan.
PHOTO / Paul Brooks

Whanganui High School Band The Remnant performed at this year's Smokefreerockquest and has qualified as one of 10 finalists to perform in the Tangata Beats section.

The band consists of Chester Nevil on drums, Joshua Waitai on keyboard, Wiremu Rogan on guitar and vocals and vocalists Cypress Kani-Hurinui and Tokararangi (Toka) Poa.

Their original songs were written by Wiremu, Toka and Cypress with arrangements adapted by the rest of the band.

"They had to have two original songs," says Whanganui High School Head of Music, Jeanette Jones. "In the Tangata Beats you have to have a cultural element. That can be Maori Pasifika language, style of music, dance, costume. It runs parallel with the Smokefreerockquest competition." Music must be original.

The Remnant was put together for Rockquest.

"Wiremu, Toka and I had been singing for about a year together. We do kapa haka," says Cypress.

"We just jam together," says Toka.

"They were highly encouraged to form a band for Rockquest," says Jeanette. It all seemed very casual.

"One day Cypress asked if I'd play in a band. I said yeah," says Joshua.

"Toka, Wiremu and I wrote some songs first and then thought it would be cool if we had drums, and what about keys! Then it all came together," says Cypress.

The band had been together for no more than a month before performing in Rockquest. One song was written a week before the performance.

"We came up with a topic first," says Toka. "One of the things we wanted to do was make it positive, so instead of just talking about stuff we're going through, talk about how to get through it. The song was to be uplifting."

"We wrote it down by the river at 10 o'clock at night," says Cypress.

The other song was written by Wiremu and arranged by the band. It is a very personal song about the passing of Wiremu's Koro.

While the others are in Year 13, Chester, on drums, is Year 10.

"I was in class and I got a note to go to (room) A8. "We need a drummer for Rockquest" and I was like, yeah, I'm down!"

The group agrees he's a very good drummer. Chester is one of the percussion group called The Buzz Rolls, who performed in the recent Chamber Music competitions. He is from Yakima, Washington.

The finalists now prepare to play off at the Smokefree Tangata Beats national final at the Dorothy Winstone Centre in Auckland on Friday September 21, followed by the Smokefreerockquest final on Saturday September 22.

"My whole family wants to come up with us to Auckland," says Cypress.
A contingent from school will accompany the group to the finals.

"They're making history," says Jeanette. "We've had Rockquest finalists before but never in Tangata Beats."

Wanganui Midweek 15/8/18