Mai i te Kaihautū

Kua mihia te mano tini kua mene ki Hawaiki nui, ki Hawaiki roa, ki Hawaiki pāmamao. Ki a rātou te tūtūtanga o te puehu, te whiunga o te kupu i ngā wā takatū ai rātou, haere atu rā. Ka huri ngā whakairo ki te marae o Apumoana, kei reira ā tō tātou pāpā a Wiremu (Sonny) Mikaere e tīraha mai ana, nō reira e te pāpā, moe mai rā. Kāti rā, ki a tātou te urupa o rātou mā, ngā waihotanga mai e hāpai nei i o rātou wawata, tūmanako hoki, tēnā tātou.

E hihiko ana te ngākau, ā, kua whakamanawatia tēnei e ngā hua maha o tēnei nā Wiki o Te Reo Māori me te Māhuru Māori hoki. Ka rere ngā mihi maioha ki a koutou te hunga i whakanui ai tō tātou reo i te wā nei. Ko te tūmanako ia, hei ngā tau kei te heke mai ka whakaranea atu ai te wā whakanuia. Mauriora!

Each year during Māhuru Māori and Te Wiki o te Reo Māori we are seeing more and more engagement with the te reo Māori. It’s inspiring! The challenge for us now is to convert that annual burst of enthusiasm or support for te reo Māori into a year round commitment. That has to be our goal.

On the 14th September next year we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the presentation of the Māori Language Petition to Parliament. There is no doubt that we have made progress. Pleasingly, the speed of change is also increasing. However,  we all have a responsibility to ensure we achieve our goals of Te Whare o te Reo Mauriora by 2040.

Perhaps we can use the next twelve months to strategise just how we might escalate our efforts in order for us all to achieve those goals. The 50th Anniversary of the petition would be an appropriate moment to launch a bold new strategy to achieve our goals, or even better, exceed our aspirations.

I also wish to congratulate Tamalene Painting and Paraone Gloyne, who have been reappointed to our Board. They have both made significant contributions to Te Māngai Pāho and we are so pleased that they are committed to continue to strive for excellence in the broadcasting sector. 

Larry Parr, Kaihautū of Te Māngai Pāho

Māori music

KA HAO - "Ka Hao: One Tira, One Voice"

East coast tira waiata, Ka Hao, has levelled up in 2021 to release their debut album ‘Ka Hao: One Tira, One Voice’. 

The album features seven original tracks, with feature single ‘35’ already climbing NZ’s singles chart.  

Recording in studio has been an amazing experience for Ka Hao member and album artwork creator, Jhaymeān Terekia. “A highlight for me was actualising the music I could hear in my head.” 

Built on the ethos of ‘whakaiti kia iti’ (humility), Ka Hao is resolute in their commitment to all things good and pono (honest), the overriding acknowledgement of Atua, the commitment to bringing light to all those who need it, and the unwavering desire to inspire their peers. 

Alien Weaponry - 'Tangaroa'

It’s Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori and, like others, ‘Te Reo Metal’ band Alien Weaponry have released their new album this week. However, even though half the songs on "Tangaroa" are in te reo Māori, it was a happy coincidence that the release timed in with Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.

“The album release was actually planned to coincide with our international schedule, as we are touring the USA with Gojira in October and November,” says lead singer and guitarist Lewis de Jong (Ngāti Pikiao & Ngāti Raukawa).

Touring overseas for much of 2018 and 2019, the band has observed a huge change in how Te Reo Māori is now received in NZ music and media.

“When we released ‘Tū’ (2018), it was definitely unusual to have songs in Te Reo Māori, and we were really nervous about it,” says Lewis’ brother and band drummer Henry de Jong. “This time, with so many mainstream artists translating their music into Te Reo Māori, it almost seems like English songs are in the minority.”

The band has a huge international fan base – they were called ‘The Future of Metal’ by UK-based Metal Hammer magazine and their music is played regularly on stations like Sirius XM across the USA; yet they continue to seek the love from local rock radio.

“We’ve always had great support from Radio NZ, iwi and student stations, but with the groundswell of support for Te Reo Māori from just about every other part of the NZ music and entertainment industry, we’re hoping this year will be the year that even the big rock stations in NZ will turn a corner and playlist our Māori songs. Mahuru Māori would be a great time to start,” says Henry.

Stan Walker - "Te Arohanui"

Today, Stan Walker celebrates the release of his new album "Te Arohanui", marking an important and deeply personal milestone for the award-winning Māori performing artist, as he shares his first body of work in Reo Māori.

“It was inevitable that I would release a reo Māori album. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when. Now is the perfect time. My tupuna fought and died so that I, we could be all that we should be. Their dreams have been bought to life in this album. I am their legacy. This is a dedication of aroha to them.”

To honour the album’s namesake, today Stan reveals the title track and accompanying video for ‘Te Arohanui’ to honour his family matriarch Te Arohanui McLeod, known affectionately as “Nanny Taini.”

Watch "Te Arohanui" here. 

In celebration of the past, present and future, ‘Te Arohanui’ is a melting pot of Stan’s greatest hits for fans to enjoy in Reo Māori, such as ‘Tau Te Mārire’ (Take It Easy), ‘Tēnā Rā Koe’ (Thank You) and ‘Kōwhiria Atu’ (Choose) feat. Hamo Dell to new waiata waiting to be enjoyed.

Also check out

Origin Roots AOTEAROA - "Tuakiritanga"

Song out today on Spotify and Apple Music.  Their music video drops tonight at 6pm, so keep an eye out! 

Hāni - "Kokiri"

I ngā rā whakanui i Te Wiki o Te Reo Māōri, he kiriata mō Kōkiri, he waiata e whakahōnore ana i ngā tāngāta i whawhai ai mō te whakamana i te reo Māori hei reo matua mō Aotearoa.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori on Apple Music

Apple Music NZ have dedicated their homepage to waiata reo Māori for the week.