Before Grammy Award-winning artist Sza came on stage to perform her last concert in Aotearoa last night, she had Kaihaka Kapa Haka performers come on the stage to perform a haka.
Then the screen covering most of the stage lifted to Sza starting off her sold-out concert with Seek and Destroy.
Kaihaka Kapa Haka have appeared with a number of international artists that perform in Auckland, and most recently gifted R&B artist Summer Walker with a hand-carved Purerehua (Māori wind instrument) from the group’s elder, Eru, after the singer’s Souled Out Festival concert in Auckland.
Sza performed hit after hit, and just before 11pm she left the stage, with her enthusiastic audience screaming for an encore.
The singer came back on stage and addressed the crowd, saying that after not performing in New Zealand for seven years it felt like a full circle moment.
“This has been the most special experience.
“I’ve never been so choked up that I can’t get through two words.
“I really love and appreciate you. There’s something different about this place, the way you love each other, the way you respect each other.
Crowd joins in for karakia
“We started this show with a prayer, and I like to close with a prayer before we get into 20 Something, she said.
While the Māori rangatahi, who was going to do the karakia, were introducing themselves, Sza started hoisting the Tino Rangatiratanga flag swinging it high
The crowd went wild and started excitingly cheering for Sza who was wearing the flag.
The karakia Kia tau then started, with the Kill Bill singer bowing her head but still holding up the Tino Rangatiratanga flag, with the whole crowd joining in the karakia.
After that, she finished the concert with the hit RnB Soul song, 20 something, wrapping herself up in the flag.
She then picked a lucky few from the crowd to join her backstage for an after-party.
This isn’t the first brush Sza has had with the Māori culture, as a viral video of students from Ngā Puna o Waiōrea in Tāmaki Makaurau doing a kapa haka performance earlier this year caught the artist’s attention.
She liked the post, and many eager fans recognised her account and immediately jumped into the comment section to call it out.
“Sza approved y’all 😍,” said one person.
“Can we just appreciate the goddess @sza has liked this 😭😍,” said another.
Sza is flying to Australia today where she will perform over this coming weekend.
Video credit: Gee Pikinga.
