Waiata Anthems celebrates the best new waiata and offers a chance to honour the champions and pioneers of te reo Māori who paved the way for future generations.
After the success of 2019's Waiata Anthems album, 2021 saw a larger scale celebration and a fresh batch of contributing artists.
Due to lockdown, the artists were unable to perform to audiences during Waiata Anthems Week last week, so instead recorded beautiful acoustic versions of their Waiata Anthems at home. Check out all of them below.
Louis Baker - Te Utu o Te Aroha
This beautiful ballad was written by Louis with mātanga reo/language consultant Hana Mereraiha, internationally renowned producer Te Whiti Warbrick, and artist Reuben Fleetwood at a songwriting workshop last year. It was inspired by reo Māori veteran Sir Tīmoti Kāretu remarking on ‘the loss of a loved one being the price we pay for love’.
Paige - Taiāniwha / Waves
Paige Tapara said recording her song Waves in te reo Māori has inspired her on her language journey, something which now involves her whole whānau.
Anna Coddington - Aho/Beams ft Louis Baker
Anna wants to normalise te reo Māori for her two children who attend kura, and waiata have given her the confidence to do this. Aho is a new reo Māori version of her single Beams featuring Wellington crooner Louis Baker.
Dia Grimm - Te Kore
Diaz Grimm - Gives us a multimedia feast in this Level 4 - live recorded performance of his Waiata Anthems track, Te Kore
Ainslie Allen - Te Ua Ka Mao
Ainslie Allen is NZ Country Music Entertainer of the Year, a recent graduate of the 2019 CMAA Academy of Country Music, and 7 x finalist for the NZ Gold Guitar Awards 2019. Te Ua Ka Mao is her second waiata reo Māori, translated by Leon Te Heketū Blake.
Huia Hamon - Marama La Luna
This new waiata from Huia ‘Marama La Luna’ (Moon Moon) was scribed when the blood moon eclipse was over Aotearoa. Produced by Huia, with music additions from Rei and polished by Chris Chetland at Kog Studio, it includes 4 languages - te reo Māori, NZ English and samples in Spanish and Italian, all part of Huia’s whakapapa.
Tomorrow People - Rise Up (Acoustic)
“Rise Up” is a tri-lingual song in English, Māori and Samoan and represents the ethnicities within the band. It’s a song of mana that has a simple request - rise up, and unite together as one against any injustices that we may face!
IA - Whetū
This beautiful video from IA was filmed pre-lockdown. Bringing you the best in smooth grooves and Taonga Puoro (traditional Māori instruments) - Whetū
Troy Kingi - Te Wai Nō Rua Whetū / Aztechknowledgey
Troy is an actor and a multi-award-winning, multi-genre musician originally from Rotorua and Te Kaha. A small-town boy at heart, Kingi is now based in Kerikeri, Bay of Islands, where he lives with his wife and five children. Troy is on track to write 10 albums from 10 different genres in 10 years.
Reuben Fleetwood - Haere Rā
Born and raised on New Zealand’s coastal Coromandel, the 20-year-old singer-songwriter grew up in Whangamata, immersed in the surf and skate culture unique to the seaside town. This is the emerging artist’s first release in te reo Māori.
Georgia Lines - Tōrere
Tauranga-based singer-songwriter, Georgia Lines, has released a reo remix of her original tune ‘My Love’ called ‘Tōrere’, translated by Hana Mereraiha. It was recorded at Roundhead Studios in Auckland and will be accompanied by a lyric video produced by Māori Mermaid.
Goldsmith Baynes - Tīpuna
Goldsmith Baynes is a project combining the vocal prowess of Allana Goldsmith and pianism of Mark Baynes.
Valkyrie - A Hakamana
Valkyrie band members give a behind the scenes look at the writing and recording of their Waiata Anthems track “Hakamana”. Filmed pre-lockdown this gives us an awesome insight into their creative process.
BTS
Listen to the full Waiata Anthems playlist here!
