December 09, 2019
Waiata Anthems draw musicians into culture
The winner of Te Tohu Huia te Reo / Supreme Award prize in this year's Ngā Tohu Reo Māori Awards says revitalising the Māori language requires a broad range of people working together.
Musician Hinewehi Mohi won the award from her Waiata Anthems project, which pulled together some of New Zealand's most popular singers and bands to perform their hits in Maori.
It was the first chance for many of the artists to be recorded in Maori.
"The Māori artists who had that experience, they found it daunting, exhilarating and for people like Bic Runga, it has started her te reo journey and it has been the catalyst to connect her to her taha Māori," Mohi says,
She says making te reo normal is an important part of the revitalisation process.
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