"I felt like I was lying on my side on lush grass and these beautiful women performers were pouring nectar into my ear – and it was running down into my soul."

James Waites (Sydney Theatre Critic)

Struggle, power and sensational music came to the Town Hall, as five proud black women combined their talents in the spirited Walk a Mile in My Shoes.

Whirimako Black (Māori), Emma Donovan(Aboriginal Australian), Merenia (Māori Romany Gypsy), Ngaiire (Papua New Guinean) and Maisey Rika (Māori) are the Barefoot Divas – a group of funny, cheeky and uplifting women who took their commentary on fame, contemporary music and cultural struggle right to the edge.

Each a star in their own right, these women came together to form a potent vocal force that swang between reggae, roots, R&B and Latin-infused soul. But this was more than just music. Speaking openly about the vagaries, pitfalls, scams and scandals of life as contemporary musicians, this was a telling and intimate insight about life on the road and in the studio.

The commanding voices of the Divas were accompanied by a band of musicians originating from Chile, Peru, Greece and Australasia. Developed by writer Alana Valentine and producer/director Vicki Gordon, Walk A Mile In My Shoes transcended borders and beliefs. It was an entertaining evening of spoken word and song that was inspirational and a little bit outrageous.

Art on the Move: 8 March Porirua & 9 March Paraparaumu

Art on the Move: Maisey Rika 13 March Otaki and 14 March Upper Hutt