Ria Hall is an exciting new voice on the contemporary New Zealand music landscape. Creatively informed by west coast hip-hop, vintage reggae, classic soul, dancehall ragga and modern beat music, she presents a fresh and vibrant perspective as both a young Māori woman, and as a cutting edge, 21st century singer and artist.

Born in Tauranga, Ria spent time in Auckland and Australia, before settling in Wellington and really finding her musical feet. She co-formed and fronted the reggae band Hope Road, who, in performing at the Parihaka International Peace Festival and Wellington’s Waitangi Day One Love event, won the respect of Aotearoa's elite roots, reggae and soul music communities. This led to her joining Hollie Smith’s live ensemble, becoming part of Eru Dangerspiel’s psychedelic explosion, and, latterly, performing backing vocals for the 2010 reunion shows of the iconic Trinity Roots.

Her profile has also been lifted significantly by her inspired performance at the opening ceremony of Rugby World Cup 2011 – a performance witnessed by a televised audience of millions.

Working with producer and mentor Riki Gooch (Eru Dangerspiel, Trinity Roots) on her debut self titled EP, Ria has fashioned a vibrant new take on an age-old story. By incorporating her many disparate influences – Māori performing arts, te reo Māori, modern musical palettes, whānau, and her own life history into a seamless whole, she presents her story, her perspective. Her story begins here... Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.