First-time Finalists Combining Music And Te Reo Māori

From the comfort of his home, Adam Tukiri wrote and recorded what was supposed to be a rap album with lo-fi beats.

“But I was going through some challenges and I was forced to stop until I could resolve those problems.

“I returned about a month later much better and went to record the final track. What I like about the project is that it shows where I was, and where I am now, and I am really happy with the album.”

That album is WLKNZ, released at the end of 2019. It is a finalist in the Best Hip Hop Album by a Māori Artist, at this year’s National Waiata Māori Music Awards.

Tukiri, who goes by the name of Dharmarat, is a rapper based in Pukekohe and is among four first-time finalists at this year’s music awards.

“I wanted to put my work forward for the awards because I finally felt like I had produced something worthwhile,” Dharmarat said.

“My work has always been a bit experimental but I think WLKNZ is worth some recognition, it is a real smooth and in parts sad, rap album.”

Dharmarat, based in Pukekohe, said he was happy to be among the finalists at this year’s awards.

“A lot of people don’t realise I am a Māori artist and I really want to put my culture forward and I hope that’s what I can do as a finalist this year.”

Music isn’t Dharmarat’s full time job but he would like it to be one day.

He has a new album out this month, called Belial, a 13-track project.

“It’s a big album but the songs are short, I wanted them to be sharp and to the point, so the whole album is only about 30 minutes long.

“I’ll be working on a few shows to promote the album this summer and next year, I’ll just be working on more music, recording more tracks from my room at home.”

Ed Waaka

Singer-songwriter Ed Waaka hopes his work as a finalist at this year’s National Waiata Māori Music Awards will shed light on Māori history and its importance in modern New Zealand society.

“As a first-time finalist, I am very humbled. It’s a great opportunity to be able to share my music and message in the same space.”

Ed, from Auckland, is a finalist in the Best Music Video by a Māori Artist, for his waiata, Revolution.

“I guess being a finalist also helps show the type of music that I'm currently making, focusing on our current social climate. It’s quite political and timely, with all of the issues going on around the world.

“Revolution is about responsibility for our actions and doing better. Recognising that working together and in numbers is the only way forward.”

Live performances have been difficult under the various Covid-19 alert levels, even affecting this year's Waiata Māori Music awards, but Ed hopes it will shed light on more emerging artists and their music.

“With no international acts, I think we will see New Zealand music talent come to the fore, it’s almost like a renaissance of New Zealand music and it will expose audiences to musicians they’ve never come across before.”

Ed recently returned to university to study te reo Māori. He is currently finishing an EP delayed by Covid-19, but in between he started writing songs in te reo with the help of Te Māngai Pāho.

“Recently I've written a song around the idea of the rangatahi and tīpuna relationship and how this is more important than ever to carry us forward, and a way to learn te reo through music and storytelling.

“This is the first song I've written in te reo Māori and has been the most rewarding process in my career. It’s allowed me to work in a way that I've never experienced before and created a sense of connection and grounding that I had been searching for.”

Masaya

Masaya was formed from a university project when vocalist Reiki Ruawai needed to assemble a band for an assignment.

He managed to convince his sister Kaea Ruawai to play drums and his friend Muroki Pearsall to play bass, creating the unique three-piece sound.

After university, Masaya added Jules Blewman from Wellington band TOI and university student Joe Kaptein on keys.

The band, from Raglan, hit the studio and two singles, Tales of the Moonshine and Shake the Sun, plus their Tongue & Groove album were released in 2019.

Reiki said he was proud to see Tongue & Groove, and the band accepted as a finalist in the Best RnB Album by a Māori Artist category at this year’s National Waiata Māori Music Awards.

“I was actually overseas when I finished that album, drawing on some inspiration from the people and places I saw.

“One song on the album, Partake, is about me getting left behind in Morocco while my friends went off to see the rest of Europe, so there’s a bit of background to it all.”

Reiki said the band’s style is a bit of roots and RnB, with some soul. Masaya enjoys gigging and the band’s main performance venue is the Yot Club in Raglan.

“We’ve played Soundsplash two times, performed at few festivals and we’ve got a few more lined up for this summer but for sure, Raglan is our main jam spot.”

Masaya enjoys playing away too and they have a big gig at Meow in Wellington on October 30.

Reiki said the band wanted to refine its live act performance as well as its studio work.

“I definitely would love Masaya to get a higher profile but at the moment we’re really keen on jamming out, making music, producing songs and getting our work out there.

“We’re aiming to produce a new EP at the start of next year and we’re working on two more singles for it right now.”

Reiki encouraged other young artists to pursue a career in music.

“My big advice is just to do it. Get your group together and just start writing songs and performing.

“That’s the only way you’re going to improve, get the experience and keep going. It took me a while to get Masaya together but once we got it sorted, we began to enjoy making music together.”

Te Nūtube

First-cousins Atareta Milne, 10, and Te Haakura Ihimaera-Manley, 8, are the youngest to appear as finalists at the National Waiata Māori Music Awards.

They are the kōtiro behind the popular Māori Television show, Te Nūtube and they are finalists in the Best Māori Group category, Best Music Video by a Māori Artist and Best Single by a Māori Artist for their waiata, Pakipaki Mai.

Pakipaki Mai includes Pere, Kairangi Ihimaera, Chey Milne, Awatea Wihongi, Tangihaere Pere, Atareta Milne and Te Haakura Ihimaera-Manley.

Atareta’s pāpā, Chey Milne, said the whanau comes from a television and entertainment background and they had enjoyed watching the girls’ success over the past three years.

He said their flare for entertainment came out naturally.

“We were at a hui one day and our baby sister was looking after the girls. As a baby-sitting tool, made a video of them and it just went viral, and kept going.

“Their show on Māori Television is now in its third season and it’s been a journey for all of the family.

“It wasn’t clear to us at first but the show has just become an awesome resource for other Māori speaking families, like us, who speak te reo Māori only in the home.”

Chey said the waiata Pakipaki Mai came out of a project for season 2 of the television show.

“At that stage there was quite a lot of Māori music coming out but nothing aimed at their age group.

“So the idea was, let’s do a song. It was co-written by the girls themselves, about pakipkai mai mo te tangata pai. They hand picked some of the kupu for the waiata and that’s how it came about.”

Chey said the whanau had been overwhelmed with the song’s success and the level of support for it.

“It’s had well over two million views on YouTube and I’ve lost count of how many downloads across the different platforms.

“But it all goes to show that te reo Māori is an amazing language, it definitely matters and it can take you places.”

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