Moana & The Tribe Release New Video For Huakirangi - Out Today!

‘Huakirangi’ is the third single to be released from Moana & the Tribe’s upcoming sixth album ONO, produced by Paddy Free.

‘Huakirangi’ is co-written with electronica producer/guru Paddy Free and longtime band member/co-writer Scotty Morrison and features the Tribe’s Cadzow Cossar on guitar. The lyrics are inspired by the karakia composed by legendary Polynesian hero Maui to capture and slow down the sun. The track also features and co-written with award winning indigenous Australian artist Shellie Morris. Shellie is credited with creating music and songs in around 17 Aboriginal languages, many considered “sleeping”. In ‘Huakirangi’, both women explore the relationship between the Sun and Moon through their respective languages. ‘Huakirangi’ is written and sung in Māori and Gadigal (an indigenous Australian language).

The ‘Huakirangi’ video is offered now as Matariki brightens our skies in Aotearoa.

‘Huakirangi’ is the third single from Ono to be released following 2020 releases of 'Tōku Reo', a music collaboration with the singer, Inka Mbing, from the Atayal tribe, one of 16 indigenous tribe in Taiwan and ‘Tū’-a track featuring Canadian first nation’s singer-songwriter Jami Lauzin of the Metis people.

In a few weeks time, Matariki will leave our skies again and the next single, ‘Aio ana’ will be released. ‘Aio ana’ is a song of peace, a lullaby featuring Mari Boine of the Sámi native people of Norway. Mari performed in Aotearoa at WOMAD in 2013.

Watch: Moana & the Tribe - 'Huakirangi' (feat. Shellie Morris)

HUAKIRANGI - LYRICS / STORY

'Huakirangi' is based on an old incantation that Maui would have used to capture and slow down the sun so that humans would have more time in the day. The lyric is based on a farewell from the Sun to Te Po (the darkness). RANGI means day. PO means night or darkness.

The first verse explores the different degrees and dimensions of darkness within in our traditional world, before there was light - layers of darkness, black, very black, the ultimate black. The first line says; "i hīpoki nei koe i te ao ki tō korowai uriuri" - "here you are oh Sun, covered and protected by your cloak of Darkness." The second part is all about the power of the sun to heat the earth, to extend his rays to the world, to light it up – many dimensions of light and heat.

The phrase towards the end with the vocal progression that goes higher, ends up saying "Taku manu ia ka ko, Kua ao, kua ao, kua awatea."

“My bird makes the announcement, there is light, there is light, here is the new day.”

HUAKIRANGI

LYRICS - (S.Morrison, P.Free, M.Maniapoto, S.Morris)

Te pō e x 3

i hīpoki nei koe i te ao ki tō korowai uriuri

I au ai te moe

I tau ai te wairua

I nunumi atu ai te tauā

I tāromaroma atu ai te wehi

Whano ki uta, whano ki tai

Whano ki te iwi

I moe ai i te pō

Pō nukunuku

Pō nekeneke

Pōwaiwai te pō

Pōhirihiri te ao

Tariao riko, tariao whiti

Tariao te ata hāpara

Toia te rā kia whiti iho te rā

ko pūmahanahana

ko pūwerawera

E whiti e te rā e,

pārore ki taku kiri!

Kia rangi nui te rangi

Kia rangi roa te rangi

Kia rangi piataata te rangi

Whakakenakena mai ra

taku manu ia ka kō

Kua ao, kua ao

Kua awatea!

Lyrics: Shellie Morris

Marnajanda aja-murimuri, karakarra kanda-walanymala, wayi wakara nanda-minjararra awara ja-yinbayi

Translation: Here she is, my most senior paternal grandfathers sister, from the east she will reveal herself, ahhh now she has completely risen the country is singing

The word for sun is a-kamba, but there is no need to mention that in the song because it becomes self explanatory by the way the words are used, if you want to put the word for sun into the verse it would be
best at the start.

The Dreaming place for the sun is in Garrwa country, near Pangalina station there is a cliff face with a great round impression in it with rays coming out, it is the sun. In the Dreaming she was an old lady and she was really jealous for her country and she drove everyone away from it by her heat. There were old people that had power songs that could slow the sun, make it hotter, cooler, make peoples bodies burn.

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