Alan Rakiraki & ReTrio
Hi I'm Alan Rakiraki, musician, song writer, entertainer and actor. Take a look around my site. You will find out about my work and there are a few midi files to enjoy. As well as entertaining in bars, restaurants, parties and events, I record covers of old favourites and original songs and tunes. I also make backing music for vocal and instrumental performers and compose advertising jingles.
I started playing the Ukulele at the age of seven. By ten I'd graduated to guitar and was starting on piano and violin. At this time I was getting into school productions, first the school band and later singing dancing and acting. Apart from family, music and theatre have been the biggest part of my life for as long as I can remember.
My first band was 'The Soniks' Just a few local guys from my home town of Oamaru In the South Island of New Zealand. We played covers of the latest tunes on the radio during the '60's. Our gigs were limited to Church youth group dances, parties or local agricultural shows. As we became more polished we got to play in other centres. On regular occasions we got gigs at Queenstown fast becoming the world renowned adventure capital of the south pacific.
In the early 70’s I joined a Queenstown based band, ‘Chewb’ This is when I stated really enjoying playing and listening to Jazz/Blues and guitar players in that style – been doing it ever since.
Later I formed another band, "Urban Road" which became a popular band in and around Oamaru for more than three years, also toured throughout the South Island of New Zealand as a backing band and regularly performing and backing international and nationally renowned TV and recording personalities at dine and dance ‘High Tea’ evenings at the Brydone Hotel’s Moeraki Room.
I started playing the Ukulele at the age of seven. By ten I'd graduated to guitar and was starting on piano and violin. At this time I was getting into school productions, first the school band and later singing dancing and acting. Apart from family, music and theatre have been the biggest part of my life for as long as I can remember.
My first band was 'The Soniks' Just a few local guys from my home town of Oamaru In the South Island of New Zealand. We played covers of the latest tunes on the radio during the '60's. Our gigs were limited to Church youth group dances, parties or local agricultural shows. As we became more polished we got to play in other centres. On regular occasions we got gigs at Queenstown fast becoming the world renowned adventure capital of the south pacific.
In the early 70’s I joined a Queenstown based band, ‘Chewb’ This is when I stated really enjoying playing and listening to Jazz/Blues and guitar players in that style – been doing it ever since.
Later I formed another band, "Urban Road" which became a popular band in and around Oamaru for more than three years, also toured throughout the South Island of New Zealand as a backing band and regularly performing and backing international and nationally renowned TV and recording personalities at dine and dance ‘High Tea’ evenings at the Brydone Hotel’s Moeraki Room.