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February 11, 2025
Farewell to Toni Huata, a voice of reo Māori music
Atereano Mateariki
Posted On February 11, 2025
Kua hinga tētahi o ngā manu tīoriori o te wao nui a Tāne.
Toni Huata passed away early yesterday morning and will lie at Pipitea Marae this morning before returning home to Te Matau-a-Māui, where she will be at the marae at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu.
Huata was known as a powerhouse of contemporary reo Māori music, fusing elements of jazz, soul, and Māori sounds while staying true to her hononga to Ngāti Kahungunu and Rongowhakaata.
Recently, Huata was the Kaihautū Puoro Māori for SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand leading the organisation’s journey and commitment to Māori music, and producing incredible content that will be cherished for generations to come.
She came from a proud whānau of composers, including her uncles, Canon Wi Te Tau Huata, who wrote Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi, and Tama Huata, who founded the Kahurangi Māori Dance Theatre and the Takitimu Performing Arts School in the early 1980s.
Moe mai rā e te māreikura waiata, hoki atu ki te taha o ō tūpuna, e moe, e moe, e moe.
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