Award-winning UK festival Focus Wales celebrates emerging talent and artists. The festival which has been running for 15 years saw more than 22 thousand attendees, showcased 250 artists across 20 stages in various venues around Wrexham. As part of a cultural exchange last month, bilingual musicians, Jordyn with a Why, Mā and Mohi travelled to Wales to represent Aotearoa. The reclamation of both the Welsh language Cymraeg, and te reo Māori through music is a common and powerful connector between the two countries. The Kiwi artists each performed two sets with their bands and attended panels discussing how language can transcend genre barriers. Jordyn with a Why was recently nominated for Best Māori Artist for her album Hibiscus Moon, Love & Justice and for the Mana Reo award for her waiata Māori 'Reia' at the Aotearoa Music Awards. Singer-songwriter Mā released her sophomore album this year, Blame It On The Weather, and was named as one of the New Zealand ones to watch by Rolling Stone Australia in 2023. Both join Culture 101 to reflect on their trip.
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