Mahinārangi Tocker

Mahinārangi Tocker at the 2007 Auckland Folk Festival

Mahinārangi Tocker MNZM (1955[1] – 15 April 2008) was a singer-songwriter from New Zealand.

She wrote more than 600 songs in a 25-year career.[2] Her vocal style has been compared to that of Joan Armatrading and Tracy Chapman [3] She also gave lectures around New Zealand about the use of music and creativity to boost learning and self-esteem, and was an adult literacy tutor, writer and poet.

Tocker was born in Taumarunui and was of Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Maniapoto, Jewish and Celtic ancestry.[2] She was an open lesbian.[4]

For her services to music, she became a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2008 New Year's Honours List.

Tocker died on 15 April 2008 in Auckland's North Shore hospital following a severe asthma attack. She was 52.[4]

Discography

Albums [5]

References

  1. "Mahinarangi Tocker: Singer from the heartland". Dominion Post. 2008-04-24. Retrieved 2008-05-20.
  2. 1 2 Kiran Dass (October 2005). "The Mongrel in Mahinarangi". NZ Musician Magazine. Retrieved 2008-04-15.
  3. "Musician Mahinarangi Tocker dies age 52". New Zealand Herald. 2008-04-15. Retrieved 2008-04-16.
  4. 1 2 GayNZ.com (April 2008). "Singer/songwriter Mahinarangi Tocker dies". GayNZ.com. Retrieved 2008-04-19.
  5. muzic.net.nz


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, April 07, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.