It’s taken two years, but Troy Kingi has completed a te reo version of his reggae-inflected Holy Colony Burning Acres album in time for a Matariki public holiday release.
The Taitokerau-based singer-songwriter says Whenua Hautapu Eka Mumura is not just a remix but effectively a new album with different instrumentation.
He says the translation was complex but rewarding.
“You don’t just translate from English to Māori, You take it from a Māori worldview as well so we completely turned the songs on their heads and now they have so many other levels. I don’t think I’ll ever sing it in English again,” he says.
Whenua Hautapu Eka Mumura is out on Friday, June 24.
