‘That’s the way’ (1986)    06-thats-the-way

ARDIJAH now! 

(left to right)

Ryan ‘Captain Fonk’ Monga – Ardijah music Producer, song writer & Drums.

Phil Crown – Keyboards & Vocals.

Rico Tali – Lead Vocals, guitar, sax, ukulele and flute. (not at the same time though)

Betty-Anne – Lead vocals, percussion & ukulele.

Kaitapu Monga – Bass guitar, percussion & Vocals.

 ARDIJAH then! – THE COVERS BAND.
The birth of Ardijah began in 1978 with the meeting of two Maori fellas, Ryan Monga and John Wihongi (aka Jaydee) in a Dawson Rd garage in Otara. This was their first jam, with Ryan on funk/bass and Jaydee on funk/rock guitar, they knew by their 2nd meeting that the gelling of their musical talents was a winner. looking to expand their band, they placed a $15 ad in the NZ Herald.  The placement of James Tuiara on percussion/vocals and Richie Campbell on drums meant Ardijah the covers band was born, generating the exact groove that Ryan & Jaydee were looking for. Their first full rehearsal felt like they had been jamming together for years. The seed was sown for a funky future.

After a year of playing at local social gatherings Ardijah entered the Billy Joe’s Nightclub talent quest in 1980. This was an event (unbeknown to all) which would lead the boys directly to the band’s female vocalist. A budding young 15 year old with a unique sweet voice and fine tuned vocal ability, Betty-Anne was indirectly auditioning for the band. No-one was to foresee the future, that this girl was going to end up the main focal point of the band, gaining huge respect as one of New Zealand’s top vocal divas.

As the resident funk/R&B band at various clubs, their popularity grew as they honed their skills to become one of Auckland’s tightest covers bands. They looked at this as their 6 year apprenticeship, playing ‘other people’s music’ but then decided, in order to take it to the next level meant that the direction would need to change. Their own original music was starting to emerge and in 1987 their first single and video for “Give Me Your Number” was released. The band and this song featured on the NZ movie ‘Queen City Rockers’ which was Ardijah’s first introduction to the ‘music industry’.

ARDIJAH – THE ORIGINAL SOUND
Thru the years, the sound of the band was funk & R&B, but to become unique and different from the rest, Ardijah had to create their own sound. What developed was a blend of their Polynesian roots, with those funky foundations creating a style their call ‘Poly Fonk’.  

Ryan ‘Captain Fonk’ Monga
(Visionary, songwriter, producer, drums, bass, vocals)
“Back in the day… the stuff that was played on radio and TV was more English influenced and music from NZ groups was either Rock, Country or the ‘Dunedin sound’. In our neighbourhood, we jammed to Earth, Wind & Fire, Commodores, K.C & The Sunshine Band, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Prince, Michael Jackson, George Benson, Santana, Herbs – we were influenced by rootsy groove stuff. So, for me, just to hear some of our ‘flavours’ on the radio and TV was a focus when we started recording and touring the country”.

Leaving the Auckland club and pub scene to focus totally on Ardijah original material, meant that Ryan, Tony, Betty-Anne & Simon would farewell the security of $’s every week. The early days of 4 muso’s and the TR707 (our drum machine) on the road around the North and South Island of New Zealand brought with it, minimum remuneration – $50 a gig after high production costs, if we were lucky. The group made all the big sacrifices.

In 1987, being the inaugural recipients of the Rheineck Rock Award brought closer the reality of their debut album ‘Take A Chance’. Without this $30,000 award it would have taken Ardijah at least another 6 months to a year, to gig, and put dollars aside for their album. Through Warner Music, Ardijah released Take A Chance (1988), and achieved platinum sales as well as receiving ‘Most Promising Group’ at the NZ Music Awards. From this album, classic Ardijah tunes Give Me Your Number, Time Makes A Wine and Watchin’ U were all top 10 hits.

The next 3 years, saw Ardijah expand from the drum-machine 4-piece to an 8-piece ensemble (horn section included), with Ryan ‘Captain Fonk’ Monga and ‘Betty-Anne’ remaining the nucleus of Ardijah.

From the outset, there was always the desire to take Ardijah’s groove overseas, and in mid 1990, an opportunity arose to do a 3 month stint in Sydney, Australia. Having no ties or obligations to any New Zealand record company or label, (no signed contract) Ardijah (6-piece drums, gat, bass, keyz, perc and sax) ventured across the ditch to sell-out shows (ex-pat Kiwi music lovers). ‘Fresh’ feedback from the Oz shows seeped through the music industry to major record label (Warner Music Australia) whom had hoped to sign Ardijah onto their label and capitalise on the ‘buzz’ that was happening. Retrieving Ardijah’s Master recordings from the NZ record company was where everything got messy – lawyers became involved (over a 2 year period) and throughout this time, Ardijah were unable to seek any other record label, let alone release any new Ardijah music.

Betty-Anne (The Voice)
Throughout this whole experience of about 3 years, everyone and everything around me kept moving, and here we were, grid-locked from expressing ourselves. When all the muso’s flew back home (Aotearoa/NZ), there was just Ryan and myself to work through it all. I’m so grateful to our children, family and the music, which kept us believing. Thank U.

When the award winning film ‘Once Were Warriors’ came out and at the time we were still in Oz, seeing the movie made us yearn for home, and so proud, that ‘Gimme Time’ was part of the script and on the soundtrack. In 1995, we made the trip home, free of any record company’s ownership, ready to start afresh in Aotearoa. This is exactly what Ardijah had to do….. start from scratch. Over the 5 year Oz experience, we had kept recording new material and were ready to share it with our New Zealand audience. Seeking a label to work with wasn’t easy, doors closed often. ”We may have been down, but we weren’t out”. While Ardijah were away in Australia, things had changed musically back home. There was more music in the same vein so now the band had to play ‘catch up’. “We did it before, so we could do it again” was the belief. But with the knowledge and 1st hand experience the band had, mixed with determination and passion, it went more like ‘catch up’ then ‘overtake’.

Taking our music by the horns has been exciting and challenging, not just musically, but also from a business point of view. Knowing that these are our gifts to be shared and the respect from our audience is mutual….. getting paid for it and keeping tabs on it is cool too. Ardijah needed to take control of their own future.

Releasing Ardijah’s second album ‘Influence’ in 1997 (10 years after Ardijah’s debut CD), and independently, gave both core members of Ardijah hands-on experience into the running of a record label…. this hat doesn’t fit easily…. however, as an artist also, you can’t wait for the right person or team to walk around the corner and make that part of the equation happen. It will happen, not overnight, but U have to make it happen!

Releasing ‘Love So Right’ in 1998, was another time of transition, moving from their independent label Poly Fonk Productions back to Warner Music NZ. The relationship with the new boss up at Warners was fruitful with the platinum selling ‘Time’ album, and the #1 single ‘Silly Love Songs’. Ardijah’s sound was definitely developing and moving towards an earthy, pacific feel – Ryan Capt Fonks fusing of traditional pacific rhythms, voice, ukulele and island drums (pate) – POLY FONK! (Other Kiwi groups that have adopted the “PolyFonk” sound are Jamoa Jam & Nesian Mystic). Check them out!

The Ardijah journey thus far, has taken us to share and experience many lands, people and cultures. Visiting the African continent and sharing the Poly Fonk groove with Capetonians in South Africa (melting pot of many different cultures), where ‘Silly Love Songs’ was a dance floor hit and #1 on radio stations in Cape Town. From our very own Pacific nations, the Cook Islands, Samoa, New Caledonia and across the ditch to Australia – lets do it some more. Recently returned from New Mexico and Arizona (U.S), performing at festivals with Native Peoples of America ~ learning a confirmation of mutual respect that indigenous peoples have for whanau (family), those before us, the earth, the ones who cannot speak for themselves and the Creator.

 

‘Watchin’ U’ featuring ‘the PolyFonk sound’  10-watchin-u-polyfonk

 

Past and Present Ardijah Members/Musicians.

• Betty-Anne (Vocals, Ukulele & Percussion)
• Ryan Monga (Producer, Musical Director, Drums & Vocals)
• Rico Tali (Sax, Flute, Ukulele, Guitar & Vocals)
• Kaitapu Monga (Bass & Vocals)
• Phil Crown (Keyboards & Vocals)

 

• former
• Jay Dee (Guitar & Vocals)
• Richie Campbell (Drums)
• James Tuiara (Lead Vocals & Percussion)
• Ben Gilgan (Keyboards)
• Paul Drury (Keyboards)
• Teina Benioni (Guitar)
• Tony Nogotautama (Vocals & Guitar)
• Simon Lynch (Keyboards)
• Linda Tala (Keyboards)
• Harry Poe (Guitar & Vocals)
• Anthony Grey (Keyboards & Vocals)
• DJCXL (Scratcher)
• Eric John Rasmussen..from Heatwave..(Guitar)
• Saylene Leauanae (Keyboards & Vocals)
• Waylan Toia (M.C. Rapper)
• Philly D (Scratcher/Rapper)
• Efrem (Drums)
• Ken (Keyboards)
• Adrian Grey (Bass)
• Peter Hoera (Bass)
• Brinnie Nepia (Bass)
• Daniel Waho (Sax & Vocals)
• Kim Halladay (Guitar)
• Craig Denham (Keyboards)
• Barbara Griffen (Keyboards & Vocals)
• Neville Schwabe (saxophone, flute, trumpet & Electric wind instrument)
• Paul Norman (Trumpet)
• Paul Kentell (Sax)
• Brent Turner (Keyboards & Sax)
• Anita Schwabe (Keyboards)
• Trevor Collings (Guitar)
• Louise Hughs (Guitar)
• Kelly Kahukiwa (Sax)
• Eddie Manukau (Guitar)
• Rick Olsen (Keyboards)
• Glen Muirhead (keyboards)
• Tim Gaze (guitar)
• Chris Kamzelas (guitar)John Carson (drums)
• Nick McBride (drums)
• Dimitri (sax)
• Heba Ngati (percussion)
• Rick Robertson (saxophone)

Give us a yell if we’ve missed anybody.

2010 Aotearoa (New Zealand) Pacific Music Awards.

On Saturday the 29th May 2010, Ardijah receive the ‘Manukau Institute of Technology Life Time Acheivement Award’ recognising the Band’s contribution to New Zealand Music from a career spanning 30 years.