Mere Tokorahi Boynton is a New Zealand singer, producer, actor and dancer. She is best known for her role as Mavis in the film ''

Once Were Warriors ''Once Were Warriors'' is New Zealand author Alan Duff's bestselling first novel, published in 1990. It tells the story of an urban Māori family, the Hekes, and portrays the reality of domestic violence in New Zealand. It was the basis of a 1 ...

''.

Early life and education

Boynton identifies with Te Aitanga a Mahaki,

Ngāti Oneone Iwi () are the largest social units in New Zealand Māori society. In Māori roughly means "people" or "nation", and is often translated as "tribe", or "a confederation of tribes". The word is both singular and plural in the Māori language, an ...

and

Ngāi Tūhoe Ngāi Tūhoe (), often known simply as Tūhoe, is a Māori iwi of New Zealand. It takes its name from an ancestral figure, Tūhoe-pōtiki. ''Tūhoe'' is a Māori-language word meaning "steep" or "high noon". Tūhoe people also bear the sobriquet ...

iwi. She grew up in Te Tairāwhiti. Boynton trained in singing at the Conservatorium of Music in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

Work

Boynton played Mavis in the film ''Once Were Warriors''. Boynton sang Gareth Farr's ''Te Papa'', for the opening of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa. She toured New Zealand in Michael Parmenter's dance opera ''Jerusalem'' and was in a te reo Māori version of ''The'' ''Merchant of Venice'', ''Te Tangata Whairawa o Weneti''. In 2019 Boynton appeared in the premiere of Witi Ihimaera's show ''Witi's Wahine'' at the Tairawhiti Arts Festival. Boynton was appointed as Director Ngā Toi Māori for the New Zealand events organiser Tāwhiri in September 2020. Tāwhiri organises the

New Zealand Festival of the Arts Aotearoa New Zealand Festival is a multi-arts biennial festival based in Wellington New Zealand that started in 1986. Previous names are the New Zealand International Festival of the Arts, New Zealand International Arts Festival, New Zealand Arts ...

, Wellington Jazz Festival, and the

Lexus Song Quest The Lexus Song Quest (formerly known as the Mobil Song Quest) is a biennial opera singing competition, held in New Zealand since 1956. The competition is managed and presented by Tāwhiri, which also runs the New Zealand Festival of the Arts. Win ...

. In July 2021, Boynton was a soloist for the premiere of ''Matariki'', composed by Gareth Farr and for which Boynton and Ariana Tikao wrote the words. ''Matariki'' was performed by the NZSO in Auckland and Wellington, and was conducted by

Gemma New Gemma New (born 27 December 1986) is a New Zealand-born conductor. In 2022 she was appointed principal conductor of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, becoming the first woman to hold the position in the orchestra's 75-year history. Biography ...

References

Living people Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century New Zealand women singers New Zealand actors Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki people Ngāi Tūhoe people Ngāti Porou people New Zealand dancers New Zealand Māori women singers {{NewZealand-singer-stub