Herbs are a New Zealand reggae group founded in 1979. Since its foundation Herbs has been multi-ethnic in membership and featured Samoans, Tongans, Cook Islanders, New Zealand Europeans and Māori members. It has been said their debut EP What's Be Happen? "set a standard for Pacific reggae which has arguably never been surpassed".
Politics
The band has always been political, with links to the Polynesian Panthers and the cover of What's Be Happen (released during the 1981 Springbok tour) being an aerial photo of police action at Bastion Point in 1978. As well as race relations, the band took a strong stance on nuclear weapons in the Pacific with "French Letter".
History
Herbs produced a stream of reggae hits with some of the country's top talent. In the 1980s and the first half of the '90s, Herbs had 10 top 20 singles hits. Herbs also worked alongside UB40,
In 1986, "Slice of Heaven" with Dave Dobbyn reached number one on both the New Zealand and Australian charts. In 1989 they played on Tim Finn's hit "Parihaka" and in 1992 Annie Crummer fronted the hit single "See What Love Can Do."
Around this time the band forged into producing, providing instrumentation for Samoan singing sensation John Parker. The album titled Another Girl produced a local hit, a reggae-funk inspired cover of the Maori folk song "E Papa".
In 1989, the band was assisted by Eagles member Joe Walsh, who produced, played slide guitar and sang on the band's Homegrown album, which featured a cover of "Walk Away Renee", originally recorded by The Left Banke. Walsh announced he had joined Herbs, but the union lasted less than a year. Walsh gives credit to the members taking him to 'the ruins at Hawke's Bay', where he had 'a moment of clarity' – for inspiring him to pursue sobriety.
They also provided two songs to the 1990 film, The Shrimp on the Barbie: A cover of the Peggy Lee song "Mañana (Is Good Enough for Me)" and "Listen".
Herbs are considered pioneers of the Pacific reggae sound, Tama Renata died in November that same year. Dilworth Karaka, the primary founding member who remained with the band since its inception, died on 7 March 2026, aged 75.
Members
Main lineup
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="2"|Member !! What's Be Happen?<br>(1981) !! Light of the Pacific<br>(1982) !! Long Ago<br>(1984) !! Sensitive to a Smile<br>(1987) !! Homegrown<br>(1990) !! "Till We Kissed"<br>(1993) !! Current<br>line-up
|-
|style="background:darkred"| || Dilworth Karaka<br>guitar/vocals || colspan="6" style="background:darkred" |
|
|-
|style="background:FireBrick"| || Spencer Fusimalohi<br>lead guitar/vocals || colspan=2 style="background:FireBrick" | || || || || ||
|-
| style="background:red"| || Fred Faleauto<br>drums/vocals || colspan=4 style="background:red" | || || ||
|-
| style="background:Coral"| || Phil Toms<br>bass || colspan=1 style="background:Coral"| || || || || || ||
|-
|style="background:orange"| || Toni Fonoti<br>vocals/percussion || style="background:orange"| || || || || || ||
|-
|style="background:Gold;"| || Jack Allen<br>bass || || colspan=2 style="background:Gold;"| || || || ||
|-
| style="background:GreenYellow"| || Morrie Watene<br>sax/vocals || || colspan=4 style="background:GreenYellow"| || ||
|-
| style="background:LimeGreen"| || Carl Perkins<br>percussion || || || style="background:LimeGreen"| || || || ||
|-
| style="background:Green"| || Tama Lundon<br>keyboards/vocals || || || colspan=5 style="background:Green"|
|-
| style="background:Teal"| || Willie Hona<br>guitar/vocals || || || colspan=2 style="background:Teal"| || || ||
|-
| style="background:SteelBlue"| || Charlie Tumahai<br>bass/vocals || || || || colspan=3 style="background:SteelBlue"| ||
|-
| style="background:MediumBlue"| || Thom Nepia<br>percussion/vocals || || || || colspan=2 style="background:MediumBlue"| || || style="background:MediumBlue"|
|-
| style="background:MidnightBlue"| || Gordon Joll<br>drums/vocals || || || || || colspan=1 style="background:MidnightBlue"| || ||
|-
| style="background:Indigo"| || Joe Walsh<br>guitar/vocals || || || || || style="background:Indigo"| || ||
|-
| style="background:Purple"| || Tama Renata<br>vocals and guitar || || || || || || style="background:Purple"| ||
|-
| style="background:DarkOrchid"| || Walter Bianco<br>saxophone/flute || || || || || || || style="background:DarkOrchid"|
|-
| style="background:MediumOrchid"| || Leyton Greening<br>drums || || || || || || || style="background:MediumOrchid"|
|-
| style="background:HotPink"| || Kaitapu Monga<br> || || || || || || || style="background:HotPink"|
|}
Past members
- Dilworth Karaka (deceased) – founder, leader, and singer-guitarist
- Tama Lundon (deceased) - vocals/keyboards
- Toni Fonoti – vocals/percussion
- Spencer Fusimalohi – vocals/guitar
- Fred Faleauto (deceased) – vocals/drums
- Dave Pou – bass guitar
- John Berkley – bass guitar
- Phil Toms – vocals/bass guitar
- Morrie Watene – vocals/saxophone
- Alan Foulkes – percussion
- Carl Perkins (deceased) – vocals/percussion
- Jack Allen – vocals/bass guitar
- Willie Hona – (deceased) vocals/guitar
- Charlie Tumahai (deceased) – vocals/bass guitar
- Gordon Joll – drums
- Joe Walsh – vocals/guitar
- Kristen Hapi – drums
- Juanito Muzzio – percussion
- Grant Pukeroa – vocals/drums
- Max Hohepa – vocals/bass guitar
- Lionel Nelson – vocals
- Ned Webster – drums
- Ryan Monga – drums
- Tama Renata (deceased) – vocals/guitar
- Thom Nepia (deceased) - vocals/percussion
Discography
Albums
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Year
! rowspan="2" | Title
! rowspan="2" | Details
! Peak chart<br />positions
|-
! <small>NZ</small>
|-
| 1981
| What's Be Happen?
|
- Label: Warrior
- Catalogue: Z 20012
| align="center" | 40
|-
| 1982
| Light of the Pacific
|
- Label: Warrior
- Catalogue: WAR 2005
| align="center" | 49
|-
| 1984
| Long Ago
|
- Label: Warrior
- Catalogue: WAR 2007
| align="center" | 39
|-
| 1987
| Sensitive to a Smile
|
- Label: Warrior, Mushroom
- Catalogue: WAR 2008, L38988
| align="center" | 10
|-
| 1990
| Homegrown
|
- Label: Tribal
- Catalogue: 9031727721–1
| align="center" | —
|-
| 1993
| 13 Years of Herbs: The Best Of
|
- Label: Warner New Zealand
- Catalogue: 4509941522
| align="center" | 14
|-
| 2001
| Listen: The Very Best Of
|
- Label: Warner New Zealand
- Catalogue: 0927419502
| align="center" | 1
|-
| 2008
| Lights of the Pacific: The Very Best Of
|
- Label: Warner New Zealand
- Catalogue: 5186511252
| align="center" | 8
|-
|colspan="4" style="font-size:90%" align="center" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|-
|}
Singles
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! rowspan="2" width="1em" | Year
! rowspan="2" | Title
! width="3em" | Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2" | Album
|-
! <small>NZ</small>
!Work
!Result
|-
| rowspan=2|1983
| Album of the Year
| Light of the Pacific
|
|-
| Top Group of the Year
|
|
|-
| rowspan=2|1985
| Album of the Year
| Long Ago
|
|-
| Polynesian Album of the Year
| Long Ago
|
|-
| 1986
| International Achievement
|
|
|-
| rowspan=5|1987
| Album of the Year
| Sensitive to a Smile
|
|-
| Best Male Vocalist
| Thom Nepia (Herbs)
|
|-
| Best Group
|
|
|-
| Best Polynesian Album
| E Papa – Jah Knows
|
|-
| Best Songwriter
| Charles Tumahai/ Dilworth Karaka – "Sensitive to a Smile"
|
|-
| rowspan=2|1988
| Best Male Vocalist
|
|
|-
| Best Group
|
|
|-
| 1990
| Best Polynesian Album
| Homegrown
|
|-
| 1996
| Single of the Year
| "French Letter '95"
|
|}
Aotearoa Music Awards
The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously known as New Zealand Music Awards (NZMA)) are an annual awards night celebrating excellence in New Zealand music and have been presented annually since 1965.
!
|-
| 2012 || Herbs || New Zealand Music Hall of Fame || ||
|-