Shouting Out, Singing In: Rockquest At Parliament

Scoop

11-05-2025

Article – RNZ
In Parliament, MPs were shouting about pay equity and wildlife protection – next door, the mood was more upbeat and louder.
, Editor: The House
Last Wednesday at Parliament was unusually fraught.
The House was under urgency and debating whether to walk back pay equity legislation and rework wildlife protection law to ease infrastructure projects.
By the time the House reached its dinner break, a change of energy was more than welcome. Luckily, in the room next door (the old upper chamber), a function was launching the nationwide school-age performing arts event that began life as the Smokefree Rockquest.
Top Shelf are from Manurewa High School. They beat nearly 900 bands to be crowned the 2024 winners of both Smokefree Rockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats, and were one of the acts performing in Parliament's Legislative Council Chamber.
Rockquest alumni Top Shelf again.
You can't smash together hip-hop and big-band without a brass section. Shaneya Bayaban and Louise Ponifasio on brass, and bassist Ashton Emerson contributing vocals and volume.
In another corner of the Top Shelf combo, Taparia 'Taps' Engu shreds guitar on his knees (of course). Taparia also won the inaugural Chloe Wright Scholarship, a three-year tertiary education grant.
Rockquest isn't all senior college students. It has a sibling contest for junior students – Rockshop Bandquest.
The combo Sweater Weather from Porirua's Rangikura School secured second place in the Rockshop Bandquest National Finals in 2024 with a rock/hip-hop/kapa-haka combo vibe, Including guitars obviously…
Sweater Weather had an all-female front four. This photo shows the temporary performance stage, smack in front of the Legislative Council Chamber's 'throne zone', from where the sovereign would address Parliament.
Not a bad location.
Youth does not preclude speed. This Sweater Weather frontwoman is a rapid chopper.
Because this was the launch of the 2025 edition of Smokefree Rockquest, Bandquest, Showquest, Toi, Tangata Beats and Onscreen, speeches were inevitable.
Pete Rainey is one of the founders of Rockquest and was a teacher back in 1989, when he and others expanded the competition beyond Christchurch.
Another alumni, Emerson was the solo/duo winner in 2024. Her song 'Bored' also won ZM's Best Song award at the National Final.
Whenever an event like this comes to Parliament – and a lot do – it is 'sponsored' by an MP. You can't do much better than the landlord.
Speaker Gerry Brownlee was quite obviously impressed with his guests.
Troy Kingi was a Rockquest competitor in 2002. Kingi (Te Arawa, Ngāpuhi, Te Whānau-ā-Apanui) is one of many examples of highly successful artists whose early careers have included a tilt at a Smokefree Rockquest title.
He has now acted in numerous films, won two Vodafone NZ Music Awards and a Taite Music Prize. In 2020, he was awarded the Mātairangi Mahi Toi Māori Artist Residency at Government House.
Another alumnus, Georgia Lines won the Smokefree Rockquest in 2014 and Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2022 Aotearoa Music Awards.
National MP Paul Goldsmith is a keyboardist himself, so probably appreciated a return to the 'me and my keyboard' format.
The Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage showed his loyalty on the day with a NZ Music Month pin.
Among the recently added competitions is one for wearable arts. There are also contests for video production and stills photography.
Both were on show in Parliament's Grand Hall and the outcomes were impressive.
To round off the evening, as MPs were back next door to debate the protection of wildlife, Wellington Girls' College student Greer Castle added some smooth jazz and R&B originals.