MOANA & THE TRIBE release new song on Matariki observance day

‘Maiea’ (pronounced My-ear-ah) is a call for peace; an incantation in archaic Māori language to ancient deities and gods to soothe and calm a troubled mind. Set for release on Friday June 24th; Aoteaoroa’s inaugural public holiday celebrating Matariki.

‘Maiea’ is the fifth track from the upcoming album Ono by Moana & The Tribe. Due for release in 2023, Ono comprises six unique songs that celebrate te reo and raise the visibility of endangered languages through collaborations with indigenous vocalists.

The reo lyrics to ‘Maiea’ were penned by Scotty Morrison, with music written by Paddy Free and Moana Maniapoto. The Gaelic language of Scotland is courtesy of Megan Henderson, lead singer and violinist for award-winning Scottish band Breabach.

Moana and Megan first met as part of Boomerang, a collaboration between their respective bands and indigenous Australian artists including Shellie Morris, Casey Donovan and Djakapurra Munyarryun.  Twenty-one artists hunkered down at the Muriwai Surf Club near Moana’s home to write and arrange songs before testing them out on the locals.

“At first I couldn’t see how we might pull this collaboration off,” recalls Moana. “We’d done lots with indigenous Australians but were wary of the bagpipes, didn’t know much about Scotland either.”

Copious amounts of kai and kōrero helped bridge the gap..

“That’s when we heard their stories of the Scottish being colonised by the English, struggling to keep their language alive – and that the bagpipes were a form of protest. Suddenly, we understood how bagpipes and haka could work together.”

MAIEA – The Lyrics 

S.Morrison, M.Henderson, M.Maniapoto, P. Free

Translation:
Let the daylight come

and come without delay,

Peace,

Grieve for the lost souls,

help them to breathe again.

Grieve for the roots

torn from the land.

Peace,

Plant the seeds

to heal the sores. 

Believe in the young

as they grow,

Peace,

and forge new paths

like the water running of the hills. 

Let us sing together,

and stand strong as one.

Peace,

let friends and community spirit,

find justice and peace in the world.