Tara Ward delved into Māori TV’s impressive OnDemand catalogue and found some of the best TV taonga for your viewing pleasure. From lifestyle shows to documentaries, from current affairs to reality TV, Māori TV has an abundance of quality telly that celebrates and acknowledges the people, places and cultures of Aotearoa. Te reo Māori … Read more
Jessie Moss talks to Coco Solid about her upcoming mixtape, what Waitangi Day means to her, and how she stays cool on these increasingly muggy days. In the middle of the hottest week Aotearoa has seen in years, somewhere in Auckland Coco Solid is getting a lot of things done. I first met Coco in … Read more
A Māori, a Filipino and a Persian walk into a bar. They’re probably just getting a drink after a day of filming their new comedy sketch show. Hosted by improv comedy trio Frickin’ Dangerous Bro — Jamaine Ross, James Roque and Pax Assadi — Only in Aotearoa is a new Māori Television comedy that skewers modern race … Read more
Welcome to Mātakitaki, a show about Māori people, issues and stuff. Leonie Hayden is joined by comedians Jessica Hansell (aka Coco Solid) and Jamaine Ross (aka the best beard in New Zealand comedy) to discuss monetising racial trauma, the politics of a brown writers’ room and their brand new comedy series, ‘Only In Aotearoa’. We didn’t … Read more
After last month’s Equalise My Vocals events on gender equality in music, Coco Solid reflects on the project and shares video and audio of the panel discussions. Equalise My Vocals was a project about everyone being treated fairly within all factions of New Zealand music. That’s it. Over a year in the making, the project – … Read more
The Spinoff and Spark proudly present Pod On The Couch, a weekly podcast exploring music and the people that make it. This episode: Henry Oliver talks to Coco Solid and Trixie Darko about Equalise My Vocals. Spinoff Music editor Henry Oliver talks to Coco Solid and Trixie Darko about Equalise My Vocals, a panel event and music showcase on gender … Read more
As part of Equalise My Vocals, a new Spinoff project focusing on equality in the music community, Coco Solid speaks with musician and audio engineer Jana Whitta. Jana Whitta (Ngāti Kahungunu) is a local audio engineering/music community overachiever who has seen and literally heard it all. Her journey in music has taken her from a teen … Read more
As part of Equalise My Vocals, a new Spinoff project focusing on equality in the music community, Coco Solid speaks with Marie Celeste Lawrence about her work as a promoter, event manager and musician. In Auckland, Marie Celeste Lawrence is a fixture within the male dominated worlds of event management and music promotion. A music … Read more
An update from Coco Solid on Equalise My Vocals, a new project focusing on gender equality in the music community. Ngā mihi nui! Firstly I’d like to thank everyone, including The Spinoff, for supporting the Equalise My Vocals crowdfunder to get this mini-summit off the ground. Gender equality in New Zealand music is something we … Read more
Coco Solid and The Spinoff wants to have an actual conversation about gender equality in New Zealand music. That’s why we’ve teamed up to launch a new project focusing on sexism and sexual assault in the music community – and we’re inviting you to get involved. Writing was always the more traditional interest of mine, … Read more
Rather than ask people to help fund a particular project, Coco Solid is asking supporters to help pay for her life. Henry Oliver asks her about crowdfunding and the changing nature of making a living as an artist. Coco Solid (aka Jessica Hansell) is a musician, writer, and multi-disciplinary artist. She makes rap music as … Read more
Coco Solid reflects on the state of adult animation and representation in New Zealand, and reveals the inspirations and motivations behind her own animated web series Aroha Bridge. Friends hate picking movies with me because they know my preferences. I’m one of those ageless hams who love cartoons, generally any type. I watch them all the … Read more