In 1999, singer and songwriter Hinewehi Mohi stood in front of 70,000 people at a sold-out Rugby World Cup quarter final in Twickenham and sang the words: “E Ihowā Atua…” All she had wanted to do when she chose to sing the national anthem in Te Reo Māori instead of English was share her language with the world.
Back home in New Zealand, the feedback was overwhelmingly negative and Mohi was forced to defend herself, and Te Reo Māori, in the media. This proved to be a turning point, sparking a national conversation about our cultural identity and the first language of Aotearoa New Zealand. Today, New Zealanders all over the country proudly sing the national anthem in both English and Te Reo Māori.
20 years on, she has decided to mark that anniversary not by remembering the controversy, but by celebrating how far we’ve come.
“At that time, talkback radio was the mouthpiece of the people, and there was a very loud voice saying ‘it’s not important to us, it doesn’t represent us’.”
“It was a difficult time, but I thought, rather than not talking about it – because it is important to talk about painful things sometimes – I would try to find a way to make the anniversary significant and use it as a platform to promote Te Reo Māori. Because it’s not about me. 20 years on we’re in a much better position because many, many hundreds of people have made a contribution to that shift in people’s thinking. Now we have queues of people trying to get into Māori language classes.”
The result – 11 of New Zealand’s best loved artists performing their hit songs in Te Reo Māori, as well as an acknowledgement of the events 20 years ago through a vibrant rendition of our National Anthem ‘Aotearoa / God Defend New Zealand’ by the renowned Hātea Kapa Haka.
“It was initially meant to be a bilingual album, but the artists said to me ‘I want to do it all in Māori’. Only one is a fluent speaker, so for most of them this was their first real opportunity to sing in Māori. The artists have been brave and inspirational through the recording process which has ultimately been extremely challenging for the majority of them having little or no Māori language skills,”
said Mohi.
“It is testimony to how important they each view Te Reo Māori as the cornerstone of our culture. This music will help us all to feel like we can participate and celebrate in the uniqueness of our national identity.”
“These tracks are well known to people, so they can connect the English words they know to the Māori translation and feel like they’re accessing Te Reo Māori through something familiar.”
Recorded over 10 weeks in 2019, Mohi worked directly with artists in the studio to guide their intonation and understanding of the new Māori lyrics, with translations assisted by Sir Tīmoti Kāretu, one of our greatest living Māori orators and language proponents. Mohi asked Sir Tīmoti because she knew his involvement would elevate the mana of the project and give the artists confidence in the words they were singing.
Bic Runga described the experience as:
“Something I've always wanted to try but I was at a loss to know where to start. Having Hinewehi Mohi guide me through this process so generously has been really wonderful. I had to record the vocal well over 50 times to get it even close to right, but to finally sing in my own native tongue has been a really moving experience. The Māori language sings so beautifully, it's warm and percussive, and to have ‘Sway’ translated by none other than Sir Timoti Karetu has been a huge honour. I've always written love songs, and somehow always felt a part of the tradition of the Māori love song, but without my language. So this is a little homecoming for ‘Sway’ of sorts, it's been a really meaningful project to me.”
Even the original album artwork by rising artist Kauri Hawkins reinforces the message of empowering New Zealanders to learn and speak Te Reo Māori. The design represents the ‘manu’ or songbird and how we can use music to tell our stories and to share Te Reo Māori. The manu figure can also be seen as a face and its reference to our ‘native tongue’.
The theme for Māori Language Week this year is Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori, ‘Let’s make the Māori language strong’. Mohi acknowledges that each step we take, whether in learning or in embracing music in Te Reo Māori, makes the language stronger.
“Music knows no bounds, so it’s the perfect platform to express our unique heritage language and culture, within Aotearoa, and to the world.
“And it is something as New Zealanders, we can all be proud of, share and celebrate.
Label
Universal - 0805459
Format:
CD, Album,
Country:
NZ
Released:
2019
Genre:
Compilation
Style:
TRACK LISTING
1. HĀTEA KAPA HAKA - AOTEAROA / GOD DEFEND NEW ZEALAND
Written by J.J. Woods and T.H. Smith.
Arranged by David Tapene
E Ihowā Atua,
O ngā iwi mātou rā
Āta *whakarongona
Me aroha noa
Kia hua ko te pai
Kia tau tō atawhai
Manaakitia mai
Aotearoa
*whakarangona is sometimes used instead of whakarongona
2. SIX60 - KIA MAU KI TŌ ŪKAIPŌ / DON'T FORGET YOUR ROOTS
Written by J. Fraser and M. Walters
Published by Kobalt
Translated by Sir Tīmoti Kāretu
Composer of the haka Ka Mate is Te Rauparaha, a chief of Ngāti Toa Rangatira
Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō
Kia mau hoki ki tō whānau
Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō
I tangata ai koe
I hari mai i a koe
Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō
Kia mau hoki ki tō whānau
Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō
Tangata pai a Hone
Pakari ana te tū mai
Takatū ana, tāria ana e te ao
Tē hoki mai, tē auraki mai
Ngaro ana i a ia te mana
He ao hurihuri, he ao horihori
Tāweko ana te taura tangata
Motu ana te taura karawa, ā…
Pōhēhē ana a Hēni
I te huarahi tika ia
Mahue ngā hoa, haere atu ana
Tē huri mai anō
Ngaro ana i a ia te mana
Kimi tikanga hou, he ao horihori
Tāweko ana te taura tangata
Motu ana te taura karawa, ā…
Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!
Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!
Tēnei te tangata pūhuruhuru
Nāna nei i tiki mai
Whakawhiti te rā
Upane, ka upane
Upane, ka upane
Whiti te rā!
3. STAN WALKER - TĒNĀ RĀ KOE / THANK YOU
Written by Stan Walker, Vince Harder and Michael Fatkin
Published by Sony ATV Music Publishing, Copyright Control and Universal Music Publishing
Translated by Sir Tīmoti Kāretu
Kāore i tua atu i a koe
Kei taku whakakai marihi
Āwhina mai ana
Whakahau mai ana
Ko koe tōku wahine toa
Ko koe anake rā te wahine
I a ia tōku ngākau
Tōku toka tū moana
Kitea ana e koe he ara whakaatu mai i tōu aroha
Ahakoa tō mamao i a au kei tōku taha koe
Tēnā rā koe
Kāore i rawaka
Ahakoa ngā pātari
Pau kore ana te aroha
Kāore he kupu kē atu, ka nui taku aroha
Tēnā rā koe
Kia mōhio mai kore rawa e rawaka
Whakatika mai ai koe
Tohutohu mai ai koe
Kia pai ake tōku āhua, ka pōrohe ana
Āki mai ai koe, hē ana, murua ana
Tēnā koa īnoi mōku
Tēnā koa īnoi rā mōku
Tēnā rā koe, tō manawanui kē
Aroha mai ana koe
Kitea ana e koe he ara whakaatu mai i tōu aroha
Ahakoa tō mamao i a au kei tōku taha koe
4. BENEE - KUA KORE HE KUPU / SOAKED
Written by Stella Bennett, Joshua Fountain and Djeisan Suskov
Copyright Control
Translated by Sir Tīmoti Kāretu
Wahangū ana te noho
Tē puta i a au he kupu
Haere ana a mahara
Tē taea te pupuri
I hē tāku ki a koe
Koinei i roa ai
A muna kua tino ara
Tē aro ka pēnei
Kua kore he kupu
Mō rā kē atu
Puta ana he kupu, waipuketia atu ana
Kua kore he kupu
Tē aro he kupu
He āhuatanga tōu, e tōreretia nei, āe rā
He āhuatanga tōu, e tōreretia nei
Tiro mai koe anō i patua
Mahue ko ngākau marū
Nā, kua raruraru au
Miere ana te tinana
I hē tāku ki a koe
Koinei i roa ai
A muna kua tino ara
Tē aro ka pēnei
5. DRAX PROJECT - I MOEROA / WOKE UP LATE
Written by Shaan Singh, Matt Beachen, Sam Thompson, Ben O'Leary and Devin Abrams
Published in Australia and New Zealand by Universal Music Publishing Australia
Translated by Sir Tīmoti Kāretu and Jeremy Tātere MacLeod
I moeroa
Hoi ana i te kāinga
Pūkoro piako
Kōrekoreko iho ana te rā
Takoto ana i moenga kē
Kātahi tonu ka tūtaki
Rangirua ko ngā mahara
Kua oho mai hoki koe
I tōku taha i tōu nā
Nā te hou waia kore ana
Tōku ingoa i mau?
Pēhea rā te moeroa
Tē aro i hea rā au
Āe, e pai ana
Inapō, hono i te tahi
Inu ā rua noa
Kani ā whā noa
Taki ki te kāinga
Oho ā ao noa
Moe ā pou te rā
Karawhiua mai anō
Auē te reka e
Kei taku waha, i kaha rawa inapō
E pai noa ana
Nāhau, e te tau
Me haere, me noho rānei?
Wātea ana i tēnei rā
Āe, e pai ana
Tino māmā nei kia rehu ngā rama
Tino māmā nei nō tāua te pō
Tino māmā nei kia rehu ngā rama
Tino māmā, māmā nei, te tino māmā kē
I moeroa
Hoi ana i te kāinga
Pūkoro piako
Kōrekoreko iho ana te rā
He pō i pai me tō wai anō
Neke atu ana i te hoa noa
Āe, e pai ana
6. SHAPESHIFTER - NGĀ KANO / IN COLOUR
Written by Devin Abrams, Paora Apera, Nicholas Robinson and Samuel Trevethick
Published by Native Tongue
Translated by Sir Tīmoti Kāretu
Me i a koe te mana, ka aha koe?
Ka kaha rānei koe ki te whakahou?
Ko pārū rānei ka kahurangi?
Ko ngā kano me muramura
Ki te pakanga kore, ka mamae kore
Ruke atu i te hē, i te pōrangi
Āmikihia mai, ka porowhiu ai
Ko ngā kano me muramura
Ko ngā kano me muramura, āe
Ko ngā kano me muramura, āe rā
Ko ngā kano me muramura, āe
I te wā o te kōruki
Nāu ia, korekore ana
Pūao mai te atatū
Ko ngā kano me muramura
I te mutunga iho
Pai tū pai hinga
Nā wai ka oti
Ki te taea he tīmatatanga hou
Ngā raru hoki kia tere moana
Ka tai pari mai, kua ora anō
Ko ngā kano me muramura
Muna kore ana, tīmata hou ana
Ko ngākau ka marū, ka mamae
Kia piki rangi kua ora anō
Ko ngā kano me muramura
7. KINGS - KEI ARO ATU KOE / DON’T WORRY BOUT' IT
Written by Kingdon Chapple–Wilson
Copyright Control
Translated Te Korou Whangataua
Kia tau te mauri
Mahia te mahi a te taiohi
I wawe rawa te pakeketanga
Kia hoki noa ki taua wā
Ahakoa tonu auahi ana
I te taha o ōku parata
Rere ana me he waka
Tē aro atu nei
Tē aro atu nei
Kei aro atu koe
Kei aro atu koe
Hoki ngā mahara
Ki taku tamarikitanga
Karekau ō tiriki
Uuu te mauri
Ā muri kura, papa reti
Hui mai te kāhui
Ki te tōnga o te rā, papa reti
Kimihia he panekoti
Hoake ki te tāone
Momi taru me he tāne
Me whakanui i te tau hou
Ahakoa karekau he moni
E pōhara ana me he hauhau
Hei aha te pouaka whakaata
Ka pāinaina i ngā hīhī o te rā
Tipu rawa kore mai ana hō!
Poitūkohu, koinā te pakō!
Karekau he tīhau
Kāre au i whaumau
Karekau he Ūpa
Hikipapa ki te mōro
Hei, hei, oma atu i te tūtei
He tamariki haututū
Haere mai, āpiti tū
Koia aku tino tau
I tua o tāwauwau
Inumia te kawa
Haramai te mana
Ko te ihi me te wana, whītiki tāua!
Aua atu ana ko te wā
Hau ana te rongo i te Paeāhua
He Atapaki kia whai apataki
Huri te wā
Pūmau tonu ana
Kia tau te mauri
8. TIKI TAANE - KEI TŌKU NGĀKAU NEI KOE / ALWAYS ON MY MIND
Written by Tiki Taane
Published by Tikidub Productions Ltd
Translated by Sir Tīmoti Kāretu
Kei tōku ngākau nei koe
I ngā wā katoa
Kei tōku ngākau nei koe
Mahara tonu nei au
Te hono tuatahi
Mātau tonu ana au
Me mōhio ahau
Me tino mōhio ahau
Ka pō ko koe tōku ao
Kei tōku ngākau nei koe
Roa te taringa
Nāu ko tēnei waiata
Tē aro tāu i whiwhi
Kia ngaro rawa
E kaha nei te aroha
Nāu i kapa ai te manawa, e kō
Kei tōku ngākau nei koe
Koinā tāu mai
Nāu i tuki ai te manawa, e kō
Ariki mai koe, ariki atu au
Wehi kore ahau, te puaki i ngā kupu
Kei rongo pea ōku hoa
Nā tōu āhua mai
Kei te hei piripiri
Homai nei i tō katoa
Kua huri nei tōku ao
Tē aro nei i a koe
Nā konei me puaki
Ko koe te katoa
Tōku tino katoa
Kia kī noa mai koe
Nāu i kapa ai te manawa, e kō
Kei tōku ngākau nei koe
Koinā tāu mai
Nāu i tuki ai te manawa, e kō
Ariki mai koe, ariki atu au
Kei tōku ngākau nei koe
I ngā wā katoa
Kei tōku ngākau nei koe, āe
Kei tōku ngākau nei koe
I ngā wā katoa
Kei tōku ngākau nei koe
9. SONS OF ZION - PŌTERE ANA / DRIFT AWAY
Written by Matthew Sadgrove
Copyright Control
Translated by Sir Tīmoti Kāretu
Wawata noa
He hau maiangi ki ngā makawe
Raruraru kore, me ōu…
Moehewa
Ko tāua noa iho
Hoake rā
Ko tāua tāua
Takoto pū ana
Rarā ana ko te irirangi
Reka kē ana
Ki hea atu hoki
E kore e wehe
E kore hoki e mokemoke
Kupu i takoto
Kupu i takahia
Te raumati ka maharatia
Te reka o ō ngutu
Te tōnga o te rā
Ora ana au i te raumati
Ka moe tū tonu te mahara
Pōtere ana
Pōtere ana
Wawata tonu
Pō ana te ao
Nā ōu mata
Ko tāua tāua
Whakarehu ana
Ngā wāhi ngā tāngata ka kitea
He whare taha tai
Wae tamariki
Koirā noa iho
Takoto pū ana
Rarā ana ko te irirangi
Reka kē ana
Ki hea atu hoki
E kore e wehe
E kore hoki e mokemoke
Kupu i takoto
Kupu i takahia
Pōtere ana
Wawata noa
Auē, te koa
10. BIC RUNGA - HAERE MAI RĀ / SWAY
Written by Bic Runga
Published by Warner Chappell
Translated by Sir Tīmoti Kāretu
Kei kōtiti
Kei haere atu koe
Me mātau kē ake ahau
Ko tērā kei runga, ko au kei raro
Ka tūtuki tāua
Anō nei ko koe tōku moana
Hūtia ake
Kei toromi au
Tukua ahau
Ko koe te tino take
Anei ahau
Tē taea te aha
Te haratau nei i tō ingoa
Kī atu au ki a koe
Kāore e tika, te mātai i a koe
Ngā mea whai tikanga
Kia maringi mai i te waha
Kua eke rā
Ki te kī atu ki a koe e pono ana
Ka noho koe
Kei haere mai, ka haere
Kaua rā
Haere mai rā
Me mōhio ahau
Ki tōu katoa
Kāore he rongoā
E tino mōhio ai
I huri rapa ai tōku ao
E tipu nei te pōkaku
Takeo ana au
Wana kore ana
Ko hirikapo ki te ngākau
Tē aro rā me aha
Ināianei, kua kawa
Kia reka te ahiahi
Nāu rā e te tau
11. TEEKS - E KORE RAWA E WEHE / NEVER BE APART
Written by Te Karehana Gardiner-Toi
Copyright Control
Translated by Rob Ruha
Ina koe kua marere
Marere i ahau e
Nāhau rā te iti kokonga
Tāngamanawa i tikarohia
Hotuhotu ana, ko roto i ahau e
Hei whai tokorua, hei hoa haere
He wai i aku kamo, he whetū i te rangi
I aku mahara, ka kitea
I te awatea, i te kōmuringa
Me te hau miri kiri, ka kitea
E kore rawa e wehe
Ka tāpaea kia moe tahakura i te pō, i te pō
He wai i aku kamo, he whetū i te rangi
I aku mahara, ka kitea
I te awatea, i te kōmuringa
Me te hau miri kiri
Ka kitea, e kore rawa e wehe
12. TAMI NEILSON - ROIMATA / CRY MYSELF TO SLEEP
Written by Tami Neilson
Published by Native Tongue
Verses translated by Sir Tīmoti Kāretu
Chorus translated by Tama Waipara
Ka mihi au ka mene au
He oha au, he huatau
Ia wa ka hipa mai koe
Ka tangi au kātahi ka moe
Kata ana au me ōku hoa
Ka koa i tōku pai haere
Wehe ana ka mene ahau
Ka tangi au kātahi ka moe
Ka whiti te marama
Ka hoki ngā mahara
Ka haramai aku roimata
Whakarākei ake ana au
Ka kakara, korekore ana
Takoto ana i ōku hīti
Ka tangi au kātahi ka moe
Companies, etc.
Credits
Notes
Barcode and Other Identifiers
602508054594
