Pop star Stan Walker has just announced his first NZ tour in three years. However, fans will have to wait until November for his concerts in 10 venues throughout the country. Tonight, Stan talks to Te Kāea about his tour and his new film, The Stolen.
Stan believes this upcoming tour will give back to his die-hard fans.
“It is home. It’s one of the best places to tour for me. I’ve done so many tours different shows on a level beyond big stadiums and little stadiums like in places like Edgecumbe which is in the middle of nowhere.”
Born in Australia, that has never hindered his love for his Māori side.
“I can't deny, I can't deny my responsibility and my calling back here. No matter where I am in the world. Sometimes I fight and I just want to move to America because as an artist I am striving to be the best.”
At 19-years-old, Stan became a pop star overnight and is now taking on the challenge of acting in his upcoming film The Stolen.
“The Stolen is set in the 1800's in the colonial New Zealand. I am the only one that's a Māori a character named Matai left in his tribe because they got wiped out by another iwi. It’s the biggest challenge physically because back then I do a lot of fighting, the physicality was the biggest challenge ever.”
All in all, the 25-year old Ngāi Te Rangi musician believes that this is only the beginning of many more achievements to come in his career.