Top New Zealand band Six60 has released its first bilingual song, Pepeha.
The waiata shares the importance of the pepeha to people and their connection to the whenua and environment.
Six60 singer Matiu Walters says the waiata is “a pepeha for all New Zealanders”.
The song was released today as one of 29 new waiata to be released next week as a part of the 2021 Waiata Anthems Week.
Pepeha was written with the support of the creator of Waiata Anthems, Dame Hinewehi Mohi.
“We’re supporting the movement with musicians from across the country to encourage all New Zealanders to celebrate our nation’s heritage language and to make it accessible through the power of music,” Mohi says.
Six60 also released its waiata, Kia Mau Ki Tō Ūkaipō, the te reo version of Don't Forget Your Roots in 2019. Walters says he is proud of the new waiata.
“With Hine’s help, that really opened the gates for us to explore writing in te reo Māori and exploring our own Māoridom and what it means to be a Kiwi."
A very special song for us. “Pepeha” out Friday. Presave https://six60.lnk.to/pepeha
Posted by SIX60 on Saturday, August 21, 2021