ANNOUNCING A CELEBRATION OF TE REO MĀORI IN POPULAR NEW ZEALAND MUSIC
Waiata Anthems Week to shine light on waiata reo Māori
This September, Waiata Anthems Week will come to life with the release of a number of new recordings in te reo Māori and digital marketing campaign to celebrate the growing movement.
An industry-wide initiative, Waiata Anthems Week will be a celebration of the best new waiata and a chance to honour the champions and pioneers of te reo Māori who paved the way for future generations, supporting the emergence of a truly bilingual musical landscape.
On Friday 3rd September, more than a dozen new recordings of songs from some of the most celebrated musicians of Aotearoa – both established and emerging – will be released.
And from Monday 6th September through to Sunday 12th, our nation’s airwaves and digital music platforms will resonate with the vibrant sound of new waiata and bilingual music.
Waiata Anthems Week builds on the momentum of the hugely successful 2019 compilation album which saw successful pop songs by artists like Six60, Benee and Stan Walker re-recorded in te reo Māori and skyrocketed to the top of the Official New Zealand Album Chart.
The creator of Waiata/Anthems Dame Hinewehi Mohi says Waiata Anthems Week is the ongoing celebration of our nation’s heritage language, using the accessibility and power of popular music to increase the reach of our unique cultural identity to all of Aotearoa.
“From waiata that broke new ground such as ‘E Ipo’ by Prince Tui Teka and ‘Poi E’ by Pātea Māori Club to waiata stalwarts like Moana Maniapoto, Rob Ruha, Maisey Rika and Maimoa, we must never forget the songs that have moved us and the voices that championed for change.”
More details about the upcoming music releases and activations will be announced in the coming weeks.
Over seven individual short documentaries, iconic musical artists from around Aotearoa translate and record their songs in te reo Māori, sharing untold stories of fear and discovery along the way. Following on from the 2019 number one album, Waiata / Anthems, these new stories celebrate te reo Māori through the power of waiata.
Featuring Drax Project, Katchafire’s Logan Bell, Bic Runga, Che Fu, MELODOWNZ, Annie Crummer, Hollie Smith and Don McGlashan, each episode tracks the artists path, through the origin of the song to its translation and meaning, exploring how it came to be. Each episode ends with a powerful live performance.
Waiata / Anthems is produced by champion of Māori music, Hinewehi Mohi, MNZM. In 1999, Hinewehi changed the nature of our relationship with the national anthem when she performed it in te reo Māori at an All Blacks game. Today, Hinewehi continues to lead the charge for a bilingual music industry supporting artists to embrace te reo Māori in their work.
“These are stories of empowerment, in accessing te reo Māori through waiata, not just for the artists but for their audiences too. The fact that these talented musicians were prepared to embrace the challenge to do this, makes a statement about our nation’s growing confidence and pride in our unique cultural identity, that we can all share and celebrate.”
Directed by Julia Parnell (SIX60: Till the Lights Go Out, Anthems; NZ’s Iconic Hits, and The Triumph & Tragedy of Martin Phillipps), Waiata / Anthems draws on Julia’s extensive experience with music stories to investigate the artistic process behind the translation and recording of the songs and the much deeper personal story behind each.
“This was an unforgettable experience, and one of cultural significance in the pursuit to regain the power of te reo Māori in Aotearoa. I am proud to share these surprising and powerful personal stories. My hope is this series will impact the deepening of our relationship with te reo and act as a springboard for more Māori music in the charts.”