Country Music Show to Premiere on Maori Television

Friday July 5, 2013

COUNTRY MUSIC SHOW TO PREMIERE ON MAORI TELEVISION

Country music singers aged eight to 84 take the stage in Maori Television’s newest music series, MY COUNTRY SONG, premiering on Sunday, July 21 at 7.30pm.

The 13-part series is hosted by country music legend Dennis Marsh and 28-year-old Invercargill singer Saelyn Guyton, winner of the Gold Guitar and a rising star in the New Zealand music scene.

The pair travelled to 12 small towns across the North Island in search of country music talent, and helped them put together a performance they could be proud of.

“The talent in small town New Zealand has blown us away,” says director Tainui Stephens. “These are singers who wouldn’t travel to appear on other talent shows so, by going to them, we have found gold.”

Between eight and 10 singers were chosen to perform at each town show, along with performances by Dennis and Saelyn, as well as other stars from New Zealand’s country music scene.

Producer Libby Hakaraia says the beauty of country music is that all the songs tell a story. “Some are funny, some are poignant and most are sung from the heart,” she says.

In MY COUNTRY SONG, performers include a mother singing, for the first time, a song she wrote about her son who died in a mining accident in Australia. Another performer sang about a sister who had taken her own life.

Hakaraia says one man wrote a song for his ex-wife, apologising for his behaviour that caused the split, while a grandmother sang to her mokopuna thanking him for the 50 inch TV he had bought her.

MY COUNTRY SONG is the first country music series to be made in New Zealand since the high-rating That’s Country finished in the early 1980s and is produced by Blue Bach Productions (It’s in the Bag).

Tune in to MY COUNTRY SONG, premiering on Sunday, July 21 at 7.30pm on Maori Television.

ENDS

Episodic information:

Episode 1 Pukekohe – July 21
Episode 2 Paeroa – July 28
Episode 3 Waihi – August 4
Episode 4 Mangakino – August 11
Episode 5 Putaruru – August 18
Episode 6 Taupo – August 25
Episode 7 Turangi – September 1
Episode 8 Ohakune – September 8
Episode 9 Pahiatua – September 15
Episode 10 Whanganui – September 22
Episode 11 Feilding – September 29
Episode 12 Masterton – October 6

For further information: www.mycountrysong.co.nz

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