collaborations and solo music
I mostly work with others and enjoy the melding of ideas and mixing of skills that help me to arrive at new creative places each time. My first rōpū was my band Pounamu back in 1993, a folk band where I wrote political songs. I am often working with artists and organisations on various meaningful kaupapa which I love. Here are some of them, as well as a link to my solo bandcamp page where you can find my albums and singles.
Tararua art music quartet
Tararua combines taonga puoro with double bass, and cello. We have toured nationally with Chamber Music New Zealand, and released Bird Like Men in 2021 to critical acclaim, including a 5-star review in Songlines UK. Its members are Ariana Tikao, Al Fraser, Ruby Solly and Phil Boniface. The album is available through Oro Records NZ.
Photo by Ebony Lamb
Ariana Tikao and Al Fraser
Al Fraser and I play as a duo with sparse and emotionally intense taonga puoro and vocal arrangements and improvisations. We have toured with the New Zealand String Quartet and played in classical music settings including with Stroma and the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra. We released Nau Mai e Kā Hua in 2021 through Rattle Records. We were featured in Songlines Top of the World compilation. We’ve been playing together in various guises since we first met and played together for a Pao Pao Pao gig in the Wellington Town Hall in 2009. 
The duo's wide variety of nature-oriented taonga puoro sounds, whether skilfully blown or percussive, provide evocative context and organic perspective.
Seth Jordan, Songlines April 2024, review of Nau Mai e kā Hua album.
Muriwai - Ariana Tikao & Bob Bickerton
A hypnotic blend of instrumentation and language from both Celtic and Māori traditions, Muriwai is a captivating and immersive listening experience throughout. A collaborative project between Ariana Tikao and Bob Bickerton, the word ‘muriwai’ refers to the confluence of two rivers; here represented by the meeting of two cultures. Tikao’s vocals are an instant standout: equal parts soulful and stirring (‘Huriawa’, ‘Whakamihia’), as the music navigates a Kāi Tahu creation story before moving into the present; journeying themes of environmentalism and the consequences of humans’ impact on our climate and natural surroundings. It is hard not to be completely taken by the music of Muriwai. It is haunting and ethereal (‘Ngahere’, ‘Auroko’), while being delivered with a dual sense of poignancy and urgency woven throughout. Elegiac production meets taonga puoro (traditional Māori musical instruments) and harp, elevating the otherworldly nature of the music in striking fashion.
Sosefina Fuamoli, Songlines UK, May 2025
Available through Oro Records NZ.
Ariana Tikao solo music
Most of my solo music is available on my Bandcamp site, and also on streaming services. The albums are Whaea (2002), Tuia (2008), and From Dust to Light (2012). There is also a lovely Audioculture article that gives a good overview of various musical projects I’ve been involved with over the years. There are lots of links and resources about my music within more classsical settings on the SOUNZ website.