After three decades on stages around the world, DJ, rapper and entertainer Hazaduz is bringing the vibe home.

Hazaduz – real name Hoani Kake – will headline the inaugural Bless Up Aotearoa concert at the Ōhope Beach Tavern on Saturday night, joined by his band The Shiznit and guest artist DJ Danjahras.

It will be his first major Eastern Bay gig since relocating to Whakatāne in January with wife, Lisa, and their two youngest children.

“This will be the first of monthly gigs that we’ll be having down here,” Hazaduz said.

“That’s the vision for Bless Up Aotearoa.”

Saturday’s show, starting at 7pm, promises a high-energy mix of originals and covers spanning hip-hop and reggae, with flavours of soul, R&B and jazz woven through the set.

Hazaduz & the Shiznit is made up of a range of talent, including family trio Daniel Martin (guitar), Arihia Martin (bass) and Casey Martin (vocals) – alongside Ethan Ranapia (drums), Rennie Grace (keys) and Lisa Kake (vocals).

“We’ve been jamming together for a couple of years,” Hazaduz said.

Having spent 30 years in Auckland, Hazaduz said the family have moved to the whānau homestead in Paroa to reconnect with his family, whenua, and marae

“My grandmother passed within the last few years, and my wife and I have slowly been renovating the family homestead and making a transition with work and with our children to finally get to move back home to Whakatāne after being away since I was 17.”

Bless Up Aotearoa was born shortly after his January 1 return, when he briefly found himself browsing job listings.

“I thought, I’ve been doing music most of my life. There are artists I can connect with and bring down here who haven’t played here for a while,” he said.

“Like New Zealand icon, Che Fu, a good friend of mine; he’ll be coming down within the next few months.”

Hazaduz’s own career reads like a tour map of the globe.

As lead singer of The Batucada Sound Machine, he toured extensively through the UK, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand over seven years.

For over 25 years, Hazadus has been a support vocalist for Aotearoa hip-hop legend Che Fu in the band The Krates.

“I’ve been in Che Fu’s band since I was 21. Last year, we did a tour of New Zealand with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra through Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

“In 2022, we flew to Buckingham Palace and played at the Queen’s Birthday celebrations, the Golden Jubilee. It was a quarter of a million people at Hyde Park. That was one of the biggest shows I’ve ever played.”

Music became a part of his life in childhood.

“It would have been at church, with my grandmother, singing on a Sunday morning,” he said.

At 14, he busked on Whakatāne streets with his Trident High School a cappella group, The Street Corner Boys – one of whom later became Brad Kora of L.A.B. “On a Friday night we made $140 busking. I thought, this is what I want to do.”

At 17, he was hosting a midnight-to-6am shift at Sun FM Māori radio before cycling to school each morning – a routine he kept up for months before studying broadcasting in Taranaki. Now, after decades of travel and performances – including tours to Africa as part of the Twelve Tribes Rastafari movement – Hazaduz says returning home has given him fresh perspective.

“After being around the world and seeing everything, being back here in Whakatāne, up on the hill in Paroa, listening to the waves crash and seeing the stars without light pollution – it’s great to be home.”

And on Saturday night, he’s inviting the community to celebrate that homecoming with him and his band.

Bless Up Aotearoa – Hazadus & the Shiznit
■ Where: Ōhope Beach Tavern
■ When: 7pm, Saturday, March 7
■ Tickets: Eventbrite or door sales