Seth Haapu

Te Atihaunui-ā-Pāpārangi, Tahitian

Seth Haapu is a modern-classic image of South Pacific identity who writes, produces, and sings. Yet, he has hardly pursued his solo career with force - for the last five years, Seth has worked quietly behind the scenes, writing and producing music for the likes of Stan Walker, Sons of Zion and Maisey Rika. As a collaborator, he produces under the name Kēhua, translated as '(ghost)' writer in te reo Māori.

In 2016 Seth released Volume I (his second EP followed in 2017). Both works were an exercise in catharsis, revealing discoveries around his Polynesian heritage. Haapu, meaning 'refuge', is a village originally built over water on the island of Huahine, Tahiti, the home of his bloodlines before their passage to New Zealand. Despite minimal exposure, both volumes reached #1 on iTunes NZ's Singer-songwriter chart, with nominations for APRA’s Silver Scroll Award, worldwide performance invitations and support slots for James Blunt and John Legend.

Today, Seth combines origins from New Zealand and Tahiti and delivers an experience in and around water like the islands he comes from. His recent offerings, Volume III, fulfills a journey of love (Volume I), loss (Volume II) and new beginnings (Volume III). Lead single New Wave and its te reo Maori version,Ngaru Hōu, are about embracing new things. Seth was awarded ‘Kaitito Waiata Māori Autaia' (Best Māori Songwriter) for New Wave at the 11th annual Waiata Māori Music Awards. In 2023 Haapu released his album Whai Ora a collection of 10 tracks that resonate with te reo, soulful melodies and taonga puoro (traditional instruments) fusion.