NZ’s Got Talent star and students create waiata for te reo week

Kawe Roes: June 24 2013

TELEVISION STAR Tawaroa Kawana is working with Whitireia music students and the Maori Language Commission to produce a simple waiata for non-te reo speakers to celebrate Maori Language Week.

Mr Kawana, with help from his whanau (Rangitane ki Wairarapa), composed Arohatia ta reo, which means “Love your language”.

The waiata will be part of the official launch to the 38th anniversary of Te Wiki o te Reo Maori, (Maori Language Week), which began in 1975.

NZ’S GOT TALENT: Tawaroa Kawana

Whitireia musicians from a variety of backgrounds – Samoan, Cook Islands, Pakeha and Maori, contributed to the project and are looking forward to the waiata’s launch on July 1.Tuhan Tauira on bass, Ben Casbolt on drums, Lee Pryor on keyboard and Eli Rapata on guitar. Roimata Neilsen, Chad Va, Ähaka Tukapua and Rose Hanify as back up vocals.

Gareth Seymour (Ngati Hikairo), of the Maori Language Commission (Te Taurawhiri i te reo Maori), says the commission thought there was no better way to bring people and communities together than music and language.

“We wanted to put together a waiata that would tautoko (support) Maori language week and to reach out to rangatahi (youth),” says Mr Seymour.

“It’s everybody’s reo. It’s the reo taketake (indigenous) language of Aotearoa. We take a week to celebrate our reo from July 1st,” he says.

Giving it a go, “Nga ingoa Maori (Maori names)”, is this year’s theme. Helping people say  Maori names and place names correctly is the focus.

Whitireia Polytechnic spokesman Tama Kirikiri (Te Whanau-a-Apanui) says: Te Taurawhiri saw his [Mr Kawana’s] popularity among Maori rangatahi.

“He’s a musician. He’s able to compose beautiful waiata, which Te Taurawhiri is hoping will carry their message. To more than just those of us who arohatia te reo already,” Mr Kirikiri says.

“The fact that he has been to kura (school), from kahanga reo right though to kura kaupapa Maori marries well with what Te Taurawhiri was after.”

Whitireia lecturer in band studies Gloria Hildred says the students on this project are getting to do stuff that we are training them for in the real world.

“The students were given the music to learn that morning. They are on the seat of their pants, including Tawaroa, says Ms Hildred.

SOLID BACKING: Eli Ropata, left, and Tuhan Tauira

“He hadn’t heard what had been done with his song yet in terms of arrangement and how the instrumentation would be put together. Last I checked, he was rapt with what we were doing,” she says. Whitireia staff member John O’Connor and student Jake Foster engineered the recording. Phil Hornblow, another Whitireia staff member, took care of the music arrangement.Backing vocalist Roimata Neilsen (Whakatahea, Te Whanau-a-Apanui) is thrilled to be doing something so close to her roots.

“Being at Whitireia doing music I’m not exposed to Maori music. I miss it. Being a part of this has really gotten me back into my Maori. It’s really cool. I love it.”

Mr Kawana also loves his te reo, and is proud to have composed this waiata.

“I was really keen because te reo is my first language. I love my reo.

“I had to speak Maori at home, in town, to all my friends. I started to learn English at high school.

“The song is about encouraging people to learn te reo. Talk it, sing it and love it. That’s what the title is for.

“I want my language to be noticed and respected. It was the first language here in Aotearoa New Zealand. I think it should be the main language,” he says.

Kawe Roes is Born in Wellington, exported to the Te Nehenehenui by my Nanni. Now working as a Native for the betterment of society.

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