Musical adventurer Karen Hunter will perform as Karena Koa with violin, mandolin, voice and loopstation. Karen’s present passion is a fusion of Celtic and Maori music and through which she hopes to make a contribution to the continual evolution of New Zealand culture.
Karen is a Kiwi of Cornish, Irish and Scottish ancestry. She offers this work as a gift of joy and healing and calls this character ‘Karena Koa’ (Koa is the Maori word for joy).
Hailing from a family of professional orchestral musicians Karen was not brought up around either Celtic or Maori music. This organic fusion of waiata is a step in her journey towards cultural identity.