Charlotte Yates explores the history of her series of musical collaborations between contemporary composers and the work of New Zealand's finest writers at the 2021 Going West Festival.

Musician Charlotte Yates explores turning poetry into music at Auckland's 2021 Going West Festival.

Yates has devoted albums to fine New Zealand writers such as James K Baxter, Hone Tuwhare, Witi Ihimaera and Katherine Mansfield.

The lineup of performers at the festival's Gala Opening Night included Yates, Show Pony, Sandy Mill and Julia Deans.

Hear Charlotte Yates and other performers at the 2021 Going West Literary Festival

More listening

The Mixtape: Charlotte Yates

William Dart on Charlotte Yates' Mansfield album

The Making of Tuwhare. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Charlotte Yates interviewed in 1998

About Charlotte Yates

Charlotte Yates is an independent singer/songwriter & recording artist. She has released seven of her own solo albums, alongside extensive collaborative and compilation work. Her first album Queen Charlotte Sounds was released in 1991 and the single Red Letter was an APRA Silver Scroll finalist.

Melbourne-based from 1993 to 1996, Charlotte directed the 1993 and 1994 Melbourne Fringe Arts Festivals. She studied Contemporary Music Technology and Composition at La Trobe University, Melbourne during 1995. Recorded in Sydney, Charlotte's second album The Desire and the Contempt won the Singer-Songwriter category at the 1997 Wellington Music Awards.

Thirty of Charlotte's lyrics were collated as One Lady Driver and published in 1999. Her lyrics also feature in How You Doing an anthology of NZ comic verse and Cafe Reader, Spring 2017. She wrote a songwriting column for NZ Musician and released her third album Dead Fish Beach in 2001.

Charlotte directed and produced Baxter, a compilation CD of James K Baxter's poetry set to music by twelve NZ recording artists. Performances of Baxter featured in the NZ Festival 2000, the Taranaki & Christchurch Arts Festivals in 2001 & Hamilton's FUEL Festival in 2002.

Charlotte was the artist-in-residence at the Christchurch Arts Centre during April/May 2002 where she concentrated on songwriting and guitar performance. She toured extensively with fellow singer/songwriter, the late Mahinaarangi Tocker. The live album of their concerts Touring was released in 2002. Her fourth solo album plainsong was released in 2003…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details