songs of solidarity-words
songs of solidarity is about the words — words that resist, words that glue us together, words that refuse to remain silent, words that keep us inspiring. for three days, we gather to listen with a curiosity: to poems, to paragraphs and chapters carried across oceans, to songs, to tunes that echo memory of resilience, love, and unity. here, every word becomes an act of solidarity.
day 1-pōneke to palestine
amira
kia ora, i am
amira
Amira is a hearty selector whose sound knows no boundaries, she experiments with blending different genres like footwork, bouncy Afro beats, dubstep, hard hitting club and more.
Amira has her own style that is heavily rooted in experimental percussion and heavy bass lines while always bringing something new to her sets depending on her mood 
discover music from many different cultures and communities. Her sets will have you in your body and out of your head.
in solidarity
nam chucks
kia ora, i am
nam chucks
Nam Chucks, known formally as Namnita Kumar, is a DJ, selector, MC and long time radio host at Radioactive FM. Few selectors in this scene see critical acclaim, but Nam Chucks is a proud recipient of the Taite Music Prize, alongside the Outstanding Music Journalism Award from NZ on Air. 🏆
Nam Chucks possesses a deep appreciation and respect for Soundsystem philosophy – dedicating her musical selections to the concepts of unity and inclusivity in rave culture. Soundsystem music serves as a vessel for her to heal others, guide the dance and respect all things sacred and indigenous.
It’s been too long since we last had Nam Chucks on the roster pushing low-end sounds with Third Eye Hi-Fi! Suffice to say there couldn’t be a better choice to open up the dance floor. 💃🕺
welmie
kia ora, i am
welmie
after immersing herself in Glasgow’s nightlife and femme club culture, welmie returned to Aotearoa with a renewed passion for music that celebrates women and the joy of womanhood.
a lover of raving and nights soundtracked by hyperpop and disco house, she also cherish memories of staying up until dawn with her girlfriends – talking, laughing, and dancing to fun music. it’s that same energy and intimacy she hopes to recreate in her debut Aotearoa set: infused with a hyperpop pulse and a positive techno twist.
inspired by her close knit circle, welmie channels what it truly means to embody femme energy, exude confidence, party hard, and revel in a damn good night out.
Solidarity to me is more than showing up, it’s what you do once you’re there. It’s in the events you support, the people you stand beside, the conversations you let take root. True solidarity shows itself when no one is looking and when the doors are closed and the lights are gone. It’s defined by what you tolerate and by what you refuse to let happen to others.
teirangi
kia ora, i am
teirangi klever
Teirangi Klever (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa) brings heart, humour, and advocacy to everything she does. A poet and photographer with a passion for Indigenous rights, Teirangi took home first place at the WOMAD Slam and even managed to get blocked on Instagram by Immigration Minister Erica Stanford, which she considers a badge of honour.
To borrow the words of my dear friend Nadia Abu-Shanab: solidarity is a verb. To me, it is the quiet covenant that accompanies every freedom we are fortunate to hold. Not a single day should drift by in the ease of our own liberties without asking what gesture, what courage, what small act within our reach might help loosen another’s chains. As even the smallest action, offered with intention, can be the precise spark that turns someone’s night toward the dawn.
day 2-global south to aotearoa
ahinata
ahmed
kia ora, i am
ahmed sarsour
Ahmed Sarsour is a Palestinian/Sudanese poet who spent 21 years in Sudan before fleeing the 2023 war, only to find himself caught in an even greater tragedy in Gaza.
As he fights to survive and be heard, poetry became his weapon. A way to express fear, love, and resistance, and to humanize his people when the world turned away.
Even in the darkest moments, his family reminded him of courage and hope. “Islam is not the issue. Our race is not the issue. This is a fight for all humanity,” he says — because no one is free until everyone is free.
Well, Solidarity isn’t a slogan, and it’s not just a moment of sympathy that fades with the next headline. Solidarity is a bond connecting peoples together. Those who recognize each other’s humanity, no matter the borders, the language, the religion or the struggle they come from.
I always say our fights are not isolated. When you look deep enough, you realize every struggle in this world is tied to another one, and our enemies are just one!
Solidarity means understanding that justice isn’t selective. It’s one fight. One cause. When I speak about Gaza, I’m not only speaking for Palestinians; I’m speaking for every human being who refuses to accept oppression as “normal.”
I’m advocating for Sudan, Congo, Porta Rico, Mexicans and Latinos and all indigenous people everywhere!
Our pain teaches us to connect. Our stories teach us to stand together. And when we stand together, even the strongest systems of power start to shake.So solidarity is people recognizing each other, seeing themselves in someone else’s suffering, and knowing that the liberation of one community uplifts the dignity of all humanity.
This is why I always believe our fight is a fight for all of humanity and our struggles already tied together. It’s what I always say, no one is free until we all are free!
cam
kia ora, i am
Cam McCausland-taylor
Cam McCausland-Taylor (Ngāti Awa, Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa, Waitaha) is a Pōneke-based kaipūrākau. Her pieces are rooted in te taiao and te moana, with a special focus on tohorā. “Whale Whare”, her Substack newsletter, collates the latest whale & ocean-based news on a weekly basis.
She has also been published in the likes of Starling Magazine, Awa Wahine Magazine and Massive Magazine.
in solidarity
joshua
kia ora, i am
joshua toumu’a
Joshua Toumu’a is a queer Pasifika poet and uni student living in Te Whanganui-a-Tara. He is the winner of the 2022 Schools Poetry Award, and has featured in Starling, Symposia, The Spinoff, Bad Apple and elsewhere. He’s currently forming a graveyard for the digicams he’s killed; may they rest in peace.
in solidarity
khadro
kia ora, i am
khadro mohamed
Khadro Mohamed is a writer and poet from Pōneke, but she is originally from Somalia, East Africa. Her work often reflects the Somali-NZ perspective, her most recent novel “Before The Winter Ends” is sold in book stores across the motu.
“solidarity is in everything that you do. In everything that you choose to say. I know people are in solidarity with me because they carry it with them everywhere they go. Whether that’s showing up to a protest, donating money, posting regularly on social media or sharing kai. To me, solidarity is in the everyday, in the simple things.” – khadro mohamed
nadia
kia ora, i am
nadia solomon
coming soon – taihoa/please wait
solidarity message – coming soon
tarns
kia ora, i am
tarns hood
Tarns Hood is a Triple Wellington Poetry Slam Champ, winning 2019/2020/2025 titles! She’s competed at the NZ Slam finals 5 times, performed at festivals, commissions, variety shows and corporate events. From the traumatic to the mundane, Tarns powerfully delivers poetry that is real-world relatable.
“Solidarity means using my own privilege to uplift and amplify marginalised voices. It means speaking up for others and putting in the mahi where needed.” tarns hood
day 3-global south to aotearoa
neha rayamajhi
namaste, i am
neha rayamajhi
neha is a cultural worker who uses multidisciplinary praxis to disrupt and build. she is passionate about creating narratives and spaces that revolve around decolonial politics, diasporic nostalgia, and the joys of reimagining liberatory futures.
born in kathmandu and raised by nepal, neha is currently daydreaming in boston, the unceded lands of the massachusetts and pawtucket people.
