User:KLRehu

Rufus Tukere Te Haaki Rehu (14 January 1939 – 21 Nov 2020), was a New Zealand musician & entertainer. A pianist and singer, he was a member of the Quin Tikis, the Māori Premiers and the Quincy Conserve.

Biography Of Ngati Rangiwewehi, Ngaiterangi and Tuwharetoa descent, Rehu was born on 14 January 1939 at Awahou Marae, Ngongotaha, Rotorua.

Moving to Freemans Bay at age 4 with his parents he frequented the Māori Community Centre as a child where his fathers cousins band Alf Wilson and The Huimai Boys were playing in 1947.

Rufus’s first band was The Crescendos in 1957 who were the resident band at the Maori Community Centre at the time. He then joined the Quin Tikis Māori Showband touring the North Island with the Howard Morrison Quartet and Miss NZ pageant. In November 1962 he was scouted by an Australian promoter Des Cussins to join the Māori Premiers to play at his venues in Sydney, Petersham Inn and Chequers NightClub.

In 1964 when the Quin Tikis relocated to Sydney, Rufus was asked to rejoin the group. He played on the album “Make Friends With The Quin Tikis” released in Australia on Sunshine Records in 1967.

End of 1967 he returned to NZ where he joined the band Quincy Conserve and played on several records with them until he left in 1973.

Rufus passed away peacefully in Auckland on 21 November 2020.