Pōneke’s own, MĀ (Maarire Brunning‑Kouka) is a boundary‑pushing bilingual singer‑songwriter, rapper, and producer from Te Whanganui‑a‑Tara. A self‑taught artist and working biodiversity ranger, she threads neo‑soul, hip‑hop, spoken word, and te ao Māori perspectives into a sound that feels both intimate and elemental. Her debut album Breakfast with Hades (2021) marked her as a rising force, while her environmentally charged follow‑up Blame It On The Weather (2025) cemented her reputation, earning multiple nominations at the Aotearoa Music Awards and drawing praise for its fusion of ecological storytelling and genre‑fluid production.

Last Thursday, she stepped onstage as the opener for Troy Kingi, delivering a set that showcased her growing artistic weight and the quiet authority she brings to live performance.