Tama Waipara is a groundbreaking singer/songwriter whose vocals are sweetly soulful, possessing a distinctive intonation inspired by a wealth of legendary song stylists and balladeers like George Benson, Bill Withers, Donny Hathaway and Nina Simone. Well-known and respected for his collaborations with national and international musicians, Waipara’s 2009 album ‘Sir Plus & the Requirements’ is a beautifully crafted work that successfully straddles 50s pop and 70s soul, and which plays host to a fictional character called “Sir Plus”, the long lost Polynesian cousin of Sergeant Pepper.