The New Zealand Music Festival returns to Shanghai this month bringing performers from the Pacific nation over a period of four weeks.

"The festival was created last year to promote the New Zealand culture and as a platform to introduce New Zealand to Shanghai," said Kirsten Mason, the director of the festival.

Tatau Dance Group will perform in Shanghai during the New Zealand Music Festival. Photos: Courtesy of the organizers

"We have a fabulous lineup this year - these performers represent the best of innovative, contemporary New Zealand music, and I'm thrilled to bring them to Shanghai to showcase their talents before local audiences," she said. "All the performers are different from each other and show different aspects of New Zealand's culture," Mason added.

One of the highlights of this year's festival will be the Tatau Dance Group performing the show Pasifika!. Formed in Auckland in 2009, the Tatau Dance Group is a group of Samoan dancers who all have the traditional Samoan pe'a or tattoo. Receiving the pe'a is a right of passage for Samoans. This will be the first time for the group to perform in China.

Pasifika! is 90 minutes of nonstop, energetic dance, music and drumming. Performers mix traditional Samoan and contemporary music and dance, combined with lighting effects and images projected onto a huge screen.

"Tatau Dance Group is known for their fast-paced, high-energy performances," said Mason. "They have performed at the Auckland Pasifika Festival each year for the past five years and at many other high profile events and festivals."

The dance group will perform on Friday, November 8, at Shanghai Centre Theatre (1/F, 1376 West Nanjing Road).

NZTrio will perform in Shanghai during the New Zealand Music Festival. Photos: Courtesy of the organizers

NZTrio will perform the following Saturday, November 16, at Shanghai City Theatre (4889 Dushi Road). "They are one of the best-loved piano trios in New Zealand and they are returning to China for the sixth time to perform a mix of classical and contemporary New Zealand music," said Mason.

Created in 2002, NZTrio comprises violinist Justine Cormack, cellist Ashley Brown and pianist Sarah Watkins. They have toured across New Zealand, Australia, Asia, South America, the US and the UK.

Strike will perform in Shanghai during the New Zealand Music Festival. Photos: Courtesy of the organizers

On Friday, November 22, Strike will take over the stage of Daning Theatre (1222 Pingxingguan Road). Strike is a high-energy drumming group specializing in movement-based, choreographed percussion. "Strike is New Zealand's equivalent of British group Stomp," said Mason. "They are extremely popular, not only in New Zealand, but also around the world."

The group was formed in 1993 and has worked with leading Kiwi composers, created its own pieces and collaborated with other musicians and groups.

In Shanghai they will perform their show Elemental. "Elemental is a percussive-based theatrical stage show exploring the elements of New Zealand heritage, rhythms and environment and the four elements of water, fire, earth and the airwaves using hydrophones, pyrophones, dippophones, Bedford trucks and percussion instruments," said Mason.

For more information about the festival and the performers visit www.nzyinyue.com. Tickets are on sale through the festival website, theater websites (www.daningtheatre.com.cn and www.shcitytheatre.cn) and ticket box office websites (www.ticket2010.com and www.culture.sh.cn).