In a celebration of Aotearoa’s wildlife, the tales and melodies of our native birds will be translated into unique storytelling waiata by musical duo Aro. The lead single Kōtare was released last Thurs, 13th August and is now available for streaming and download on all platforms, including on Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp.
The five track EP He Manu Anō, will be released on 27 August and is an extension of their bilingual debut album Manu, which told the tales of 10 native manu, playing on the birds characteristics and some of their significance for Māori – through a mixture of vocals, Māori rhythms, chants and instrumentation. The EP will consist of songs of the most requested birds that did not appear on their first album, and will be entirely in te reo Māori.
Aro consists of husband and wife Charles (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Te Ata, Te Ati Awa) and Emily Looker. The pair share a passion for the power of language and music to tell stories and remind us of our cultural identity. The duo were finalists for the Maioha Award at the Silver Scrolls (2019) and the APRA Best Children’s Song Award for their song Korimako (2020).
Aro will celebrate the release of their forthcoming EP with a show in Auckland at the 13th Floor Studio on 29 August, followed by a three centre tour in September to New Plymouth, Tauranga and Onewhero. They are also delivering a virtual school tour around our country this September free for schools, involving a performance and workshop around Identity, Connection, and Responsibility, informed by whakatauki and stories of our manu taketake - our native birds, through the medium of contemporary waiata Māori.
Tour details, and lyric translations can be found at aromusic.co.nz