September 08, 2017
Te reo Maori brings poetry to Dobbyn waiata
A Maori version of the country’s most enduring songs is being released today in time for Maori Language Week.
Welcome Home was written by Dave Dobbyn in 2005 after seeing Christchurch anti-racism protests.
He says its translation by Te Haumihiata Mason came after he was approached by the Maimoa Music to contribute a song for the Maori TV show Voices Of Our Future.
He says the new version, Nau Mai Ra, adds something to the song.
"Te Hau translated Welcome Home into te reo and then retranslated it back into English for me. That was the moment I kind of fell for it. The natural poetic musicality of te reo shone through and the retranslation is really poetic," Dobbyn says.
The experience strengthened his own desire to immerse himself in te reo, which he compared to learning a new instrument.
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