Prestigious NZ Music Award for Ethnomusicologist

March 1, 2011

For the third time in its 35-year history, the prestigious KBB Music CANZ (Composers Association of New Zealand) Citation for Services to New Zealand music will be made posthumously.

This year’s recipient is Allan Thomas, a former senior lecturer who established Ethnomusicology as a specialist course right through to doctoral level at Victoria University Wellington’s School of Music. Until his death last year, aged 68, Allan had worked tirelessly in his field of world music, Asian music, Pacific Islands music, and New Zealand music. Allan was also responsible for bringing gamelan into the country in the 1970s which led to its first study in New Zealand. “Allan was always concurrently involved in a number of disparate projects at any one time,” says Glenda Keam, President of CANZ. “Be it convening a conference, teaching, researching New Zealand jazz, or hymns, or the history of Hawera, or the music and dance of the Pacific.”

“His enthusiasm for, and support of, New Zealand music and musicians has strengthened our understanding of where we are and what we can achieve here. He will be greatly missed." The Citation, sponsored by musical instrument retailer KBB Music since 1991, will be presented on Saturday 5 March at the Lilburn Residence in Wellington. Allan’s widow, Jennifer, and their daughters will be receiving the award on his behalf.

“It is important for us to recognize Allan with this Citation for his significant contribution and commitment to music in New Zealand,” says Paul Skipper, Director of KBB Music.

Allan’s deep interest in teaching and researching the music of Pacific Islands has resulted notably in two books – “Songs and Stories of Tokelau – an introduction to the cultural heritage” (coauthored with Ineleo Tuia and Judith Huntsman, Wellington, 1990), “New Song and Dance from the Central Pacific: Creating and performing the Fatele of Tokelau in the islands and in New Zealand” (New York,1995), and a CD, “Vanuatu: Traditional Music of West Futuna” (Auvidis/UNESCO, 1998). Despite declining health, Allan completed work with Richard Nunns on a book on Taonga Puoro, before passing away in September 2010.

A festschrift titled World Music is Where We Found It is being assembled by Allan’s colleagues honouring his three decades of teaching, which will include his unpublished essays, along with contributions by former students and colleagues.

Past recipients of the KBB Music/CANZ Citation for Services to New Zealand music include Chris Cree Brown, Andrew Uren, Jenny McLeod, Gillian Whitehead, Karen Grylls, William Dart, John Ritchie, William Southgate, John Hopkins, John Rimmer, Dorothy Freed, Scilla Askew, John Cousins, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, 175 East, among others.

ENDS

© Scoop Media