Gig Review: Rob Ruha & NZSO @ Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington – 7/03/2026

Have you ever been to a full-on Wagnerian Opera – the full arsenal of voices, orchestra and physical energy that overwhelms the senses in a huge tidal wave of movement, sound, colour and light? Well, that was exactly what it felt like to witness the winners of the 2026 Mātaatua Regional Kapa Haka Festival, Te Taumata O Āpanui, delivering their waiata Te Tepuni (dedicated to Rikki Mitai) from the rafters of the Michael Fowler Centre, as the closing piece to Rob Ruha’s Festival show, Teiwa. It was an absolutely awesome way to finish the show.

When I spoke to Ruha a few weeks ago, he promised magic, and boy, did he deliver. What a showman and what a show! Along with his band of 10 years, The BV’s (six rangatahi singers with exceptional voices), and the full power of the NZSO, he gave us soulful and funky (Aue Wairua, Tāera), soul schmooze (Lost In The Q), contemplative new material (Papa and 120 – based on Psalm 120), an unfinished farewell to his Nanny, lost during Covid (Alamein) and even a bit of big band disco revival with another new track called Saturday. The last one was made for roller skating or strutting your stuff on the light up floor. The nearly full house had plenty of ‘aunties’ and they were bopping along in their seats joyously with great abandon.

As fans of Ruha will know, whānau is very important to him. His brother was on keys tonight and many from Te Whānau a Āpanui were involved as well. He even wrote a song for his dear, departed Uncle John: “A pastor man of simplicity”. He reminded us all to take more pleasure and care in the simple gestures and actions we do for one another.

“This one’s all about Moko,” Ruha announces and quickly describes how Te Taumata O Āpanui had recently ventured north to witness and support Troy Kingi getting his moko done. Kingi was part of the kapa haka group tonight, lending his voice and presence to their outstanding performance, made even more special once we’d learned this fact.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Rob Ruha show without Kalega.(which all travellers of State Hi-way 35 know is about the massive ice cream scoop servings offered by shops like the Tirohanga Beach Store, near Ōpōtiki). Nobody can resist singing along and reminiscing about those hot vinyl car seat holidays, camping by the beach and cones so huge the hokey pokey is dipping down your wrists and elbows.

David Kay led the NZSO through a number of fine moments adding more than just the ‘string’ part to Ruha’s songs. It was a polished performance all round. Both the band and orchestra integrated well, with percussion and brass seeping into the very soul of these songs – especially the title, Teiwa. That provided extra drama and substance. The thing about a live orchestra, unlike keyboards and synths is that you can literally feel every instrument and that made this composition, in particular, so much more wonderful. There was a heavy string introduction, flourishing out into a wider more expansive auditory landscape in parallel with the feel and sentiment of the song, which, Ruha explained, is based on an ancient haka, possibly the first to be performed by women. And we were the first, in Aotearoa to hear it. It was one of several very special moments in a night that often had the hair standing up on the back of my neck.

Ruha wanted us all to know that tonight was about joy and fun, especially nowadays. And that’s exactly what Teiwa was. Great Fun. To complete the night, we all leaped to our feet to joyously belt out Ruha’s most well-known anthem to his rohe, 35. With the whole room (the stalls, the mezzanine and the balcony) all singing and clapping along, it was a gospel experience like no other I’ve had in recent times. Soul nourishing!

Tonight was dedicated to all wahine. In fact, Sunday 8 March was International Women’s Day. Teiwa, Ruha explained to me, Teiwa is a shortened form of Hineteiwaiwa, the Māori atua of performance, weaving, childbirth, and the moon. At the time, I imagined a night where ancient creativity meets the new, transforming the Michael Fowler Centre into a supernatural Aotearoa-inspired space filled with the same electrifying energy. And when Te Taumata O Āpanui performed Te Rapanui, and earlier their competition piece Kia rehua, it brought the roof down and the audience up on their feet. I absolutely think Hineteiwaiwa was in the whare tonight!

Mauruuru koe, Rob, mo to wheako whakamiharo. Kua whakahauoratia e koe toku wairua.