Ema Barton aka EMA I'U (pronounced Emma ee 'oo) is a full time musician, actor and poet of Sāmoan/ Pākehā heritage based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa.

She is known as ‘The Queen of Open Mic’ having run multiple events over the last 9 years and performs regularly with her bands Lucky May and Coco-Rocky. Renowned for her soulful and versatile voice, Ema draws in audiences with her storytelling and powerful stage presence with a background in theatre and environmental activism. Ema has a passion for serving her community and has formed Holding Space Aotearoa Charitable Trust for this purpose. Songwriters 4 Climate Action is one her leading projects.

She has also been working on multiple RnB pop tracks with Producer Nathan Judd (Producer of the Year, Pacific Music Awards 2021) as part of a New Music Development Project. 'Midnight Mistress' and 'Top Shelf' are the first singles from their collaboration with plenty more to come. Her latest single 'Flower of Life' is the title track for her forthcoming debut album planned for release in 2025. The music video for ‘Flower of Life’ premiered at SXSW Sydney 2023, screened at Māoriland Film Festival and is a Finalist for Best Video at the Pacific Music Awards this year. She can't wait to share her next project and would love to continue pursuing opportunities to tell strong visual and narrative stories that showcase her love for Te Taiao and roots in the South Pacific.

Ia Manuia.