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:sheree waitoa Sheree Waitoa uses her mahi and her music to contribute to the Mãori community; a common trait of the Waitoa whãnau. "In Auckland and Wellington there are more WHAT INFLUENCE CAN a name have on a person? Should the direction of someone's life be influenced by the actions of their ancestors? It may be said Sheree Waitoa (aka Sista) was destined to pursue a career in Maori-influenced music because of the actions of her famous grandfather, Henare Waitoa. By her choice or otherwise the influential DJ, singer, MC and businesswoman is now making a name for herself, as well as fortifying that of her family's. Sheree hails from Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Raukawa; all tribes of the eastern North Island, but grew up in Christchurch where she attended Avondale Primary, Chisnallwood Intermediate and Aranui High School. At 13 Sheree joined the bilingual unit at Aranui High School where her teacher recognised her last name and instinctively had her leading the kapahaka group. She grasped the opportunity and it was these beginnings that her understanding of Te Reo Māori, waiata and music developed. Today Sheree uses her mahi and her music to contribute to the Māori community; a common trait of the Waitoa whānau. All of her siblings in their own way contribute to their culture. The four Waitoa pekepoho (siblings) follow closely in the footsteps of their well-known grandfather, Henare Waitoa who was asked by Sir Apirana Ngata to write a song for the Maori Battalion upon their return from World War One. Henare wrote the song 'Tomo mai', which was later covered and made famous by Sir Howard Morrison. Sheree's older brother, Pae is a Tā Moko artist in Australia, her younger brother, Hohepa is a Performing Arts/Kapahaka Lecturer at CPIT as well as a waiata composer, and her sister, Merita recently moved to Nelson to start a new total immersion kura kaupapa. Today she is the co-host of the Tahu FM Breakfast show 'The Big Breakfast Show' from 7.00 a.m.-10.00 a.m. on Sky Digital 505 and 90.5FM in Christchurch, which is bilingual. Its purpose is to keep the 18 | www.hermagazine.co.nz opportunities to surround yourself with other musos, but there's something about this place that I absolutely love plus all my family are still here too." community up-to-date with different kaupapa going on with a hint of Māori music. Sheree recalls, in her senior high school years, volunteering at Tahu FM and would often 'wag' class to go along to the station where her older brother and sister hosted a Saturday evening show. Shortly after she left school she was offered a job in Tahu FM as a receptionist and less than a year later she had secured a full time spot on the air. Sheree quips that after more than a decade as a full time DJ she is part of the furniture. After the February 22 earthquake Sheree's dedication to the station and her heritage compelled her to remain in the shaken city. "In Auckland and Wellington there are more opportunities to surround yourself with other musos, but there's something about this place that I absolutely love plus all my family are still here too." While Sheree's Sydenham house escaped the brunt of the earthquake's destruction the family dwelling, her parent's Aranui house, now sits on a slant. After the February 22 quake Tahu FM lost their inner city office space and were forced to use the Air Force tower for their relocation to the Wigram Air Force Base, or as Sheree calls it 'porter com city'. Thanks to the Maori radio network, Tuaropaki Communications and other stations which banded together to donate headphones, microphones, mixers, laptops and two radio stations, Te Upoko O Te Ika from Wellington and Tahu FM's sister station Radio Ngāti Porou from Ruatoria took over their frequency. "We had back up generators in the building but because of the Rhythm and Lines