Following the triumphant launch show in Tāmaki Makaurau at Matariki, TE KAAHU is giving fans another chance to witness the wairua of the debut album TE KAAHU O RANGI played in its entirety. TE KAAHU and band will perform at The Yard in Raglan on Saturday, October 8. The Chronicle caught up with Te Kaahu (aka Theia) ahead of the show.
Tell us about any inspirations behind your new album.
My beloved nannies are my inspiration. Without them I would not be here. My kui Rangirara instilled in me the passion for my hapuu, iwi and marae. The importance of knowing the maatauranga and with it the mita (tribal dialect) of Waikato and Ngaati Tiipaa. In this project and of course the album Te Kaahu O Rangi I weave a tapestry of Waikato history, tribal sayings and even quotes from my great-grandmother in her fight for caretakership of our great awa.
Can you tell us a little about the song Waikato and what that means to you?
‘Waikato’ is a love song for my ancestral awa. It honours her mana (spiritual power and authority) as an ancestress for our people and also kaitiaki. It includes verbatim koorero from my great-grandmother Mite showing the dependency our iwi has on Waikato and therefore how urgent it is for us to protect her mauri and oranga.
We are currently celebrating the 50th anniversary of te Petihana reo Māori – the Māori language petition. Have these movements influenced you and your music?
Well I think these mana reo movements were crucial in changing whakatureture (legislature) and cultural zeitgeist around revitalization and tino rangatiratanga: our people firmly standing against colonization and the oppression of our native tongue. We are reaping the fruits of our tuupuna’s dedication and service, ensuring our reo and mita are strong for generations to come
Tell us about your upcoming show in Raglan:
I’m so excited to bring TE KAAHU to Whāingaroa. I’ve performed before in the rohe for Soundsplash and adore this tāone. Also it’s very special to perform in Tainui as well! The show is on October 8 at The Yard. I’ll be bringing my band : backing vocals, electric, acoustic, bass and lapsteel guitars! Come along if you would love to be bathed in the nostalgic and healing sounds of yesteryear entirely in reo Maaori. I would loooovee to see you!
Te Kaahu’s new reo Māori album Te Kaahu O Rangi is available to stream on Spotify. Tickets to the live show at the Yard on Saturday October 8 can be bought from undertheradar.co.nz.
