Rob Thorne

A decade into his career, Māori musician Rob Thorne turned his back on rock when he was introduced to the taonga pūoro or "singing treasures," ancient instruments carved from wood, stone, gourds, bone, and seashells, that traditionally held a powerful cultural and spiritual significance for the Māori people. Developing a deep fascination with these instruments and their history, he learned to play all of them, becoming an accomplished maestro, an in-demand session player, and even completing a Master's degree in anthropology, writing his thesis on the instruments. Born in the ...