Upper Hutt Posse: Legacy
By Dave Gideon
Much of this double CD by Dean Hapeta under the Upper Hutt Posse legend is in te reo, set against mainly sequenced skankin', layered with odd and sometimes off-key arrangements with sax, electric guitar, flute harmonica and accordion. Defending an identity the lyrics here tackle the perennial battle with colonialism and the alienation of tangata whenua in NZ society. I didn't find much flow here and unfortunately the first track Ngati put me off straight away with its 'We're telling you all about it' attitude. The song that stands out has to be Sight Divine, an easy to like number featuring album producer Te Kupu. The second CD is more interesting though at times quite odd in the arrangements and a little cluttered with vocals. Emma Paki features on seven tracks adding her unique vocal flavour. Dean Hapeta's own 11 year old daughter sings on two cuts. Hapeta typically avoids any reliance on Americanism but for me the addition of a real band would make this seem album more authentic.
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