Award-winning Māori music artist, MAAKA, has penned a new waiata to mark a return to the performance stage and to renew
his commitment to his craft and fans.
With a fresh sound and a new message, MAAKA releases his track, Kei Hea, hot on the heels of Te Wiki o te reo Māori.
The new RnB track is infused with melodic keys which MAAKA serves with his ever smooth heartfelt vocals. The music video
to the new track was produced by D. Love.
“I think after the Covid-19 pandemic, I fell into this place of complacency, almost to the detriment of my music,” MAAKA
explains.
“It had been a while since I had released new work and I began questioning whether I still had anything to offer.
“Kei Hea is a song about longing for something special you thought was lost, when in fact, it never went anywhere, you just lost
sight of it.”
MAAKA said being away from music for a while generated thoughts of uncertainty.
“But now I know that in reality my love for music never changed, my doubt was just the result of a temporary state of
mind after living through the unsettling times of the pandemic.”
MAAKA recently returned from a national Matariki tour, which provided an opportunity to reconnect with his love for live
music performances.
He is now preparing for a busy summer music performance season.
“I’m ready to get amongst it again, to share new music and reconnect with music lovers. The new track is a reflection of
where I am now in terms of my music, but also on a personal level.
“I try to write from a more generic point of view. That way, the listeners can take what they want from the music, and
discover their own way to relate or connect to the words and music.”
MAAKA, also known as Maaka Fiso, is of Ngāti Kahungunu descent and is from Upper Hutt. He was a top-five finalist in The
X Factor 2015. He shortly after signed to Waatea Music.
He is a nine-time nominee for the National Waiata Māori Music Awards and won the Best Male Artist title at the 2019
awards event.
He has performed on stage with some of the finest singers and musicians Aotearoa has to offer including Sammy J, Annie
Crummer, Lisa Tomlins and Aaradhna to name a few.
With a busy performance schedule coming up in the capital, and with venues booking up, be sure to see more of MAAKA this
summer.