Kia Mau Festival will be opened by award winning musician, singer and songwriter, AJA (Ngāti Raukawa, Te Atiawa ki Whakarongotai, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Porou) performing at Circa Theatre in Te Whanganui-a-Tara from 02-03 June 2023.

Grounded and powerful musician AJA is spirited by the everlasting, the elemental and the kindred balance. Her voice and musical arrangements have the ability to speak intimately to a wide audience. With sure and guided vocal tones, AJA lures the listeners along, into a vast musical soundscape.

In 2022, Aja, Byllie-Jean Zeta and Chris Wethey won the prestigious Silver Scroll Maioha Award for an exceptional waiata in te reo, for their song Te Iho. The Silver Scroll Award is New Zealand’s most prestigious songwriting award, recognising outstanding achievement in the craft of songwriting. Te Iho praises the essence of powerful wāhine Māori, using poetic language to express the importance of women.

Despite the global pandemic, 2020 marked the release of AJA’s waiata KĀWAI exploring themes of creation and environmental awareness. It’s an uplifting ode to the element of water; a recount of human lineage and our relationship to water. KĀWAI is a sweet dedication to wāhine, ko wai koe, ko wai au.

During te wā o Matariki 2019, AJA released her first single Non-Handler. AJA’s performances include CubaDupa 2023, Newtown Festival, Te Rā o Te Raukura.

On March 23rd, AJA is dropping a live video featuring her new waiata Feel It.