Loopy Tunes Share Two New Matariki Waiata

Today, Loopy Tunes (Preschool) Music released two more waiata 'I Love Huawhenua (Tupuānuku)' and 'Huarākau Is Fruit (Tupuārangi)' from their new upcoming Matariki album 'Mā: Matariki for Tamariki', made with support from NZ on Air.

These new waiata follow up 'Hiwa-i-te-rangi' and 'Te Waka o Rangi (Pōhutukawa)' from their upcoming 'Mā: Matariki for Tamariki' album, a 13-track assortment from the Ōtautahi-based sister duo, made for "our little ones to help them understand Matariki and grow up singing and dancing to the waiata".

Listen to 'I Love Huawhenua (Tupuānuku)' HERE

A fun waiata written about Tupuānuku, the star in the Matariki cluster associated with kai harvested from the soil, tamariki will get to learn the names of different vegetables in Māori and English. “A line in the song that we love is, ‘when Tupu-ā-nuku shines bright in the sky, prepare to see your garden fill with kai!’" says the duo. “It has a fun we call and response at the end, ‘I love hua whenua….they are namunamuā'.”

Listen to 'Huarākau Is Fruit (Tupuārangi)' HERE

In this song, tamariki will learn the names of fruit in Māori and English, as “Tupu-ā-rangi represents kai from above”. The star is associated with food that comes from the sky, such as birds, or elevated fruit and berries from trees.

These waiata will be accompanied by lyric videos created by Māui Studios on the Loopy Tunes YouTube channel.

Siu Williams-Lemi and Leah Williams-Partington make up Loopy Tunes Music. With ancestral links to the largest Māori tribe in Aotearoa, Ngāpuhi, and the friendly islands of Tonga, the sisters bring a super-fun cultural vibe to the children’s music world. They are recognised for their reorua/bilingual Māori and Pasifika children’s waiata, sung in their beautifully harmonious style.

With a growing catalogue of over 170 waiata, their album 'Mā: Matariki for Tamariki' will follow “Kahurangi: Little Treasures” – a 23-song assortment of mostly bilingual tunes that young tamariki and the young at heart will enjoy, released in October 2024.

2025 will see the duo touring the North Canterbury region through to Kaikoura in April, followed by an extra special tour to Northland in October to visit their iwi whenua, maunga and marae. Alongside touring, they are looking forward to continuing their new fortnightly YouTube series, “Music Time with Loopy Tunes”.

'I Love Huawhenua (Tupuānuku)' and 'Huarākau Is Fruit (Tupuārangi)' were made possible thanks to the support of NZ on Air Tamariki funding.

'I Love Huawhenua (Tupuānuku)' and 'Huarākau Is Fruit (Tupuārangi)' are out now on all streaming platforms.

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