Heralded as one of Polynesia's #1 commercial recording artists, Maoli has been credited with over 21 #1 Regional Island Reggae Hits. Since their debut in 2007 the group has been steadily on the rise, having performed in at least 42 of the 50 states, as well as New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Guam, and Saipan Territories. 
   
Throughout the years Maoli's music has matured into a sound and style that is constantly evolving to reflect and meet the eclectic taste of the group themselves and their loving fans. Maoli has developed their own unique sound by fusing the elements of Country, R&B, Soul, Acoustic, Rock & Roll, and Reggae. This "Country Reggae" has been labeled as heartfelt, uplifting, feel good music that has an impressive reach, enabling the group to sell out the largest venues in the state of Hawai'i.
​
At The i-Heart's Island Music Awards in 2020, Maoli won the "Album of The Year" award for "Sense of Purpose", along with the prestigious "Group of the Year" award. They were able to replicate that success in 2021 by winning the 'Album of the Year' award for "The Breakthrough," as well as 'Song of the Year' for "My Reason." Among those awards include a 2020 Na Hoku Hanohano Award for "Reggae Album Of The Year." It’s only through tireless perseverance and attention to artistry, that they were proudly able to achieve these awards completely independently.
​
The saga continues as the group continues to release a new, genre spanning single every two weeks as a part of the Maoli Music Overload project.

Once transmitted through speakers and into the airwaves, music belongs to the people. The audience ascribes meaning and significance to songs and ultimately absorbs them for life.

By the same token, SIX60 belong to listeners. The history-making award-winning New Zealand quintet—Matiu Walters [vocals, guitar], Marlon Gerbes [keyboard], Ji Fraser [lead guitar], Chris Mac [bass], and Eli Paewai [drums]—stir rock, reggae, funk, and pop together with a twist of kiwi roots music and Maori instrumentation. Invoking this spirit and Kiwi roots, their latest music and next evolution showcases traditional Maori instruments such as Pūtātara and Pūkāe (stone and long trumpets), Bone Kōauao (Bone Flute), and Karanga Weka (Stone Flute). “We want to take our Maori culture and put it into a mainstream radio world,” exclaims Matiu. “There are only a handful of people in the world who can play these instruments, and we felt getting them into a mainstream album could give them a chance to stay alive.”
Over a decade before breaking records and selling out stadiums back home or signing to Epic Records stateside, the boys then welcomed the world into their musical ecosystem and set a career precedent in 2008 while still students.

“At University of Otago, we shared a flat at 660 Castle Street in Dunedin, New Zealand,” recalls Matiu. “We originally didn’t name the band. Instead, our first college fans gave the band the name by calling us the ‘SIX60 Boys,’ which evolved into SIX60. We adopted this philosophy into our albums. The fans add the final touches and have naming rights over things we do. The songs aren’t done until the audience has them. So, the album doesn’t really have a spirit or a name until the crowd consumes it.”

As such, SIX60 engender a rare level of devotion from fans, bordering on downright phenomenal. The group’s 2011 full-length, SIX60 (I. The Gold Album), bowed at #1 on the charts in New Zealand and eventually went septuple-platinum. SIX60 (II. The Colours Album). saw them reclaim the top spot on the charts in 2015 and go quintuple-platinum. To date, New Zealand single sales exceed 1 million as global streams surpass 200 million and counting. At the 2018 NZ Music Awards, they garnered “Best Group” in addition to five other honors.

A year later, they made history. Performing their biggest show to date, they sold out Western Springs Stadium in New Zealand and became “the first New Zealand Act to Sell 50,000 Tickets to a Show at the Stadium” (They repeated the same feat for 2020!). The gig proved to be a major milestone both professionally and musically.

sharnilee425 is following