Betty-Anne Hall wasn’t quite sure where life would take her after she stepped away from both her role as the lead singer of award-winning Kiwi band Ardijah and
her marriage to bandmate Ryan Monga.
They’d been a constant in her life since she was 15 and she expected they always would be. So striking out on her own seemed like a lonely prospect. But now, at 61, she’s recorded her first solo album, Slow Burn, and her stunning voice can be heard on a song she wrote for a nationwide immunisation campaign.
It’s not what she expected to be doing, but she’s embracing the new opportunities.
“In the music industry, when you’ve been doing something for so long, you think, ‘This must be it for me,’” reflects Betty-Anne.
“I thought my norm was working with Ardijah musicians doing weenie projects that didn’t require a year and a half of intense focus. I would never have imagined recording by myself. It can be quite a lonely journey if you’ve not actually done the solo thing before. “I still don’t feel like a solo artist because I’m in the studio with other musicians, creating music together.”
Music runs in the family
Some of the people who’ve helped her to bring her music to life happen to be her children. Betty-Anne describes Kaitapu, Latini, Beau and Jesse as her greatest collaborators.
“They’re my peers when it comes to music,” says the singer-songwriter.
“In all honesty, I look to them when we’re working together. We work on quite a professional level when it comes to music.”
Given their parents’ backgrounds and their upbringing, it’s no surprise music runs through her children’s veins. In fact, Betty-Anne almost gave birth to her first child, Kaitapu, in the middle of a performance.
She went ahead with a regular gig the band had in Whangārei because she didn’t want them to miss their spot, even though she was experiencing labour pains.
“I knew baby was coming,” she recalls.
“One of the boys said, ‘Betty, can you do one more set for us?’ I was 17, I loved what I was doing, so I said, ‘Okay, but I need a stool so I can sit down.’”
The next generation
She made it to hospital in time to have Kaitapu, but was back performing two weeks later. As passionate as she is about music, she knows how tough life as a musician can be and hoped her children might choose more stable careers.
“I didn’t really encourage it,” she admits.
“But then they would go away, rehearse and learn songs, and grow their networks. Now when we all come together, it is great, but it is a hard road.”
Betty-Anne is happy to support them wherever she can, including doing back-up vocals on their projects.
“I’m cheap – I cost nothing,” she jokes.
A new path
Ardijah enjoyed massive success with hits like Watchin’ U and defined New Zealand’s “Poly Fonk” sound. Betty-Anne received a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to music in 2023.
But despite the respect she has in the industry, Betty-Anne’s still surprised by some of the offers she’s received. The last thing she expected was to be asked to write a song for Te Whatu Ora’s new immunisation campaign Story to Tell.
When the phone rang with the offer, she thought they’d dialled the wrong number.
“I said, ‘Are you sure? Me?’ When you’ve been around forever and a day producing music in an entity that’s really well-known, you start feeling like, ‘This is it for me.’ But I thought, ‘This is a new path.’”
Making music together
The campaign shares the personal stories of three families and their decisions about immunisation. Their experiences took Betty-Anne, who has 19 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, back to her early parenting days, when she wanted to make the best possible choices for her children.
“The thing I gravitated to was hearing the stories of the families,” she shares.
“I’m not a medical person. I’m just a nana, a mum and a musician. I thought about when I was a young mum. It was a different age and a different time, but the principles are always there.”
She came up with some lyrics and melodies after listening to their stories, then son Beau came on board to help put together the catchy song. She’s grateful to him, his siblings and everyone who has supported her in this new phase of her musical journey, and pleased she can help others share their talents and creativity.
“It’s like with the album I released earlier this year and really wanting people to express themselves as well,” she says.
“It’s not really about me – it’s about the collective coming together.”
