19 Apr 2022

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air

From Whakamāori, 5:00 am on 19 April 2022

While the Fresh Prince spent most of his days on the playground, chilling out max, relaxing and shooting some B-ball, the Whakamāori team has spent its days translating this quintessential 90s TV theme song into te reo Māori.

 

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air was appointment TV viewing through the early 1990s and most 90s kids could rap the theme song composed by Quincy Jones III, written by Will Smith and performed by Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Will the te reo Māori version translated by Chey Milne, Ana-Piki Tuari and Anaha Hiini be just as catchy?

Listen free on Apple PodcastsSpotifyiHeartRadio, Google Podcasts or any good podcast app.

 

TRANSLATIONS - printable version here

Nā Ani-Piki Tuari

English:

Now this is the story all about how,

My life got flipped-turned upside down,

And I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there,

I'll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel Air.

Whakamāori

Nā, nika te paki e hua nei te ara

I huri kōaro ai taku ao katoa

Tēnā, e noho, kia whai wā au kia huaina

Taku aranga hai wheao o te tāone / ka kiia ko Bel Air.

 

Nā Anaha Hiini

English

In West Philadelphia, born and raised

On the playground is where I spent most of my days.

Chillin' out, maxin', relaxin all cool,

And all shootin' some B-ball outside of the school.

Whakamāori

I te uru o Philadelphia, i tupu ai au

I te papa tākaro i pau katoa ai taku hau

Whakatā, mauri tau, parohe, hā!

Pūrei poitūkohu i waho i te kura

 

Nā Chey Milne

English

When a couple of guys who were up to no good,

Started makin' trouble in my neighborhood.

I got in one little fight and my mom got scared,

And said "You're movin' with your auntie and uncle in Bel Air.”

Whakamāori

Tērā te tōkorua rā, he kino te whainga

E toro ahi ana I te kainga

Kotahi noa te kakari, ka wehi a kui,

Ka kī me nuku koe ki Bel Air ki tō Uncle me Auntie

 

Nā Ani-Piki Tuari

English

I whistled for a cab, and when it came near,

The license plate said "fresh" and it had dice in the mirror.

If anything I could say that this cab was rare,

But I thought "Nah forget it, Yo home to Bel Air.”

Whakamāori

Ka tonoa te waka, whakatata mai ana

Hai tā te raihana he taiea/manea, he mataono i te mira

Hai tāku he tākahi motuhake

Heoi, hai aha atu māku, hanatu ki Bel Air

 

Nā Anaha Hiini

English

I pulled up to the house about seven or eight,

and I yelled to the cabby "Yo homes, smell ya later."

Looked at my kingdom, I was finally there, to sit on my throne as the Prince of Bel-Air.

Whakamāori

Ka tau i te takiwā o te whitu, o te waru

Kaha nei taku karanga ki te mihi atu

He whare ariki, he manako i ea

Kua tū rangatira hei wheao o Bel Air.

 

 

Made for RNZ by Arataua

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