Work
Whetū
Te Reo, Taonga Puoro, Pop
About
Whetū meaning star, pays homage to taonga puoro experts who were part of the revitalisation of these instruments but have since passed on. In Māori beliefs, when people pass on, they become the stars. Featuring the traditional Kōauau (bone flute) and Putorino (wooden flute) the song leans towards a contemporary R&B sound, combining the worlds of ancient instruments and modern soulful melodies.
Commissioned note
Band Name: IA Song Title: Whetū Release Date: 3 Sep 2021 Genre: Indigenous Soul Culture: Māori Country: Aotearoa New Zealand Langauge: Te Reo Māori
Dedication note
From Aotearoa New Zealand, IA create indigenous soul music. Their compositions blend old with new and feature the voices found with traditional Māori instruments/taonga puoro. The puoro voices are blended with modern instruments, ancient poetic writing style and modern soulful melodies. IA has been discovering new frontiers with traditional Maori instruments by using taonga puoro as the driving force in their creative process. Featuring Moetu Smith, Reti Hedley and Turoa Pohatu, the Waikato based band is dedicated to showcasing taonga puoro and Te Reo Maori in their music.
Contents note
Whetū meaning star, pays homage to taonga puoro experts who were part of the revitalisation of these instruments but have since passed on. In Māori beliefs, when people pass on, they become the stars. Featuring the traditional Kōauau (bone flute) and Putorino (wooden flute) the song leans towards a contemporary R&B sound, combining the worlds of ancient instruments and modern soulful melodies.
Text note
Music in this video
Song Whetū Artist IA Album Whetū Licensed to YouTube by DRM New Zealand (Music) (on behalf of IA Music Limited), and 1 music rights societies