Hawke’s Bay musician Connan Mockasin and his family were stranded in the “best place to be in the world”

Hawke’s Bay musician Connan Mockasin and his family are stranded in paradise after traveling from Japan to visit their family before Covid 19’s closure.

Mockasin and his wife Hiromi Oshima, together with their daughter, were left stranded in Te Awanga after the national blockade began.

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Originally from Hawke’s Bay, Mockasin travels once a year from his Tokyo apartment to his home region to visit his parents. He has built an international reputation in the past decade as a musician, songwriter, and producer.

Oshima said that while they enjoy their stay in the Bay, it has been difficult being away from Japan for so long.

“We come to Hawke’s Bay every year, usually around Christmas, and this year we got to visit her parents in January,” she said.

“We were going to travel in mid-March, but we ended up having to stay much longer than I expected and we canceled our flights due to Covid-19.”

Oshima added: “But our 19-month-old daughter can spend a lot of time with her grandparents, which has been great.”

Mockasin, a former student at Havelock North Middle School, has collaborated with James Blake, MGMT and a member of Fleetwood Mac, in addition to traveling with Radiohead.

But Oshima said long walks, gardening, and now surfing have been his family’s main chores during the lockdown.

“We have gone out for a walk every day and we have been surfing the last days, since we are on the beach.

“We are right next to the wineries, so we can walk and look at cows, sheep, etc., as my daughter loves animals.”

“Our apartment in Tokyo is small, so it’s nice to have so much outdoor space and a big patio for outdoor activities to spend your days.”

The family planned to return to their home in Japan for Oshima’s father’s 70th birthday.

“We are very upset that we lost him, but there is no other place we would rather be locked up than Te Awanga, and New Zealand as a whole, even if Con was not from here,” he said.

“Jacinda [Ardern] We did an amazing job reacting right away and we feel safe and cared for because of that. “

Oshima added: “We will be back when we can as our apartment is empty, but this is the best place to be in the world.”