It’s Te Marama Puoro O Aotearoa - New Zealand Music Month right now, and that means a brand new ‘Waiata Anthems’ playlist full of Te Reo and bilingual songs has just dropped.
The 81-track playlist is full of tracks made by some of the best artists Aotearoa has to offer. Since it started in 2019, the Waiata Anthems movement has seen the release of over 100 waiata with supporting, creative lyric videos
Dame Hinewehi Mohi, the creator of Waiata Anthems, says she’s hyped to produce more video content that not only brings the artist’s music to light but also their story.
“I am thrilled with the amazing amount of video content we are releasing to complement the music,” she said. “It's inspiring to see these artists not only as champions of waiata but also sharing the stories of their reo Māori journeys, and the hopes and intentions at the heart of their music.”
One of the featured artists for this year’s run of videos is Corella, a seven-piece band based in Auckland. Their track ‘Ko Au’, which is featured in the playlist, aims to encourage “others to be proud of who they are and where they come from”.
That encouragement is powered by the personal experience of one of the band’s members, whose story is followed in the documentary video.
“After years hiding his Māori identity while in the Navy, lead singer Pipiwharauroa Campbell, with his band Corrella, sheds that past shame and proudly embraces the band’s Māori pride with a new waiata reo Māori.”
Earlier this year, Pipiwharauroa chatted with George Breakfast about the band’s new track, you can check that out below.
Another George favourite featured on the playlist is Rei. His new bilingual tune ‘All We Got’ has been bumping on George lately. He also had hopped on George Breakfast to have a yarn about the new track.
Waiata Anthems is a truly incredible way to find quality tunes made here in Aotearoa, make sure you check out the playlist.
