Johnnie Kapua has made history as the first known Māori singer to compete on The Voice US.
Kapua (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kahungunu) gained attention after auditioning with Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga’s “Die With a Smile”, which has since received more than one million views online.
“Going into it, I was like, I’m just going to go for the experience, give it a wham, do my thing,” Kapua explains.
The 32-year-old Utah-based singer stunned the crowd and coaches, turning two chairs just seconds into his audition as Kelly Clarkson and Queen Latifah both vied for him on their teams.
“I was like, if I get a chair turn, if there’s a chair turn that I want to get turned, it’s going to be Kelly,” he says.
Clarkson used her ‘First In’ buzzer, giving Kapua his first choice for her team.
“You sing with such soulfulness. You have a different cadence to your vibe and your style and I really dig it,” said Clarkson.
The singing competition is known for its “blind auditions”, where coaches sit with their backs to the performers and turn around if they want them on their team. The winner receives US$100,000 and a record deal.
He mahi Māori noa
A former tauira of TKKM o Te Ara Whānui in Wellington, he describes his upbringing as a typical Māori one. He has also shared videos of himself singing online for several years.
“I would say I’m more of an insecure singer. I’m like, oh, I can sing and have a jam with the boys in the garage or whatever, but not necessarily anything big.”
It was his wife who sent one of his singing videos to The Morning Shift podcast, saying she wanted him to share his talents on The Voice.
“My wife was the one who actually signed me up and kind of kicked me up the backside to start really taking this singing thing a little bit more seriously.”
Atu i Aotearoa ki ngā atamira o te ao
Other Māori kaiwaiata have competed on the Australian version of The Voice, including 2024 finalists Jaedyn Randell (Waikato), Jaydin Shingleton (Ngāi Tahu) and Letitia Butler (Ngāpuhi), as well as Ora Taukamo, who competed in 2017.
Kapua is the first known Māori singer to audition for the American series.
“Our Māori heritage and the way we sing and the way we present ourselves is not a normal thing. And the more you live in a foreign country, the more you realise how special we really are,” Kapua says.
Kapua moved to the U.S. for college and has lived there ever since, after meeting his wife.
“I think we have so much to offer as Māori, and I believe that we’re the most talented people in the world.”
He ngākau nui ki te ahurea Māori
The moment also comes just months after Queen Latifah went viral for comments about the haka, admitting it is her guilty pleasure that brings her joy.
“I put [the haka] on, hard day at work, running low on energy? I just put it on,” she said in an interview with Angie Martinez.
Kapua says he was drawn to her love for Māori culture,
“I was like, maybe I’m going to go with Queen Latifah. I was actually looking at Queen Latifah. And that’s why I think Kelly was like, oh, nah, I’m going to take this fella out,” he adds.
“I would definitely love to have a conversation about that with her and then obviously try and bring her over to New Zealand.”
Latifah was moved by Kapua’s performance.
“I thought you sounded beautiful; that is a big song. I thought that there were a couple of spots where you might’ve got a little loose with your breath - those are very coachable things,” she said.
Next up for Kapua and The Voice contestant is the Battle Rounds.
“I hope to earn the tautoko from our people.”
But his ultimate goal is to perform at home.
“To come home and perform and be amongst our people.”
