Pos Mavaega is relishing the opportunity to bring a six-piece ensemble from Pacific Undergound to Wanaka tomorrow to perform at the Festival of Colour.
His only previous performance in Wanaka was with soul-jazz singer LA Mitchell's backing group at the 2009 Festival of Colour and he thought then he would love to return.
Mavaega (43) has had to leave the bulk of his 25-member guitar orchestra behind but could not do without his "right-hand wing man", Hemiquaver Lesatele (38), who plays the 12-string guitar (and yes, that's the name his mum gave him. His brothers are called Demiquaver and Semiquaver).
His "left-hand wing man" is Andrew Sione (31) - "he plays right-hand guitar upside down, with his left hand, and he plays some beautiful chords, but I can't see them, because they are upside down".
Vocalist Tanya Muagututi'a (41) is actually "superwoman and wonderwoman at the same time", Mavaega says of his wife and the mother of their three daughters.
Audiences can expect to be "quietly relaxed" by her voice, "sitting there with their eyes closed with a smile on their face.
Jazz school tutor Seta Timo (31) plays bass. Mavaega fondly describes Timo as a "naughty boy who stuck to his music" and jokes that he is now learning from him, rather than the other way around.
Drummer Chris Searle (41) rounds out the group and has been playing with Mavaega throughout the entire history of Pacific Underground.
The larger 25-piece ensemble formed from a group of mates mucking about with guitars in Mavaega's garage and a friend's warehouse, and he also trawled youth groups for talent.
Pacific Underground is at the Crystal Palace tomorrow from 8.30pm.
