Sister duo, Leah and Siu, of Loopy Tunes Music, kicked off Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, with the release of their reo Māori waiata, “Ngā Kaitiaki o Papatūānuku”.
Now out on all digital music platforms, this new waiata teaches tamariki the importance of being kaitiaki of Papatūānuku, our Mother Earth. The duo, who whakapapa to Ngāpuhi and the friendly islands of Tonga, perform to tamariki across Ōtautahi and Aotearoa through their community-based outreach sessions and live streams, have released bilingual children’s books, and eleven children’s albums, ten of which are in different Pacific Island languages. Earlier this year they were finalists at the NZ Children’s Music Awards and are currently finalists at the Pacific Music Awards to be held next month.
The duo collaborated with Ana Faau, a local kaihaka expert and kaiwaiata, who co-wrote the song, with Siu. Produced by another local, Thom O'Connor, the waiata features a beautiful taonga puoro soundscape, provided by talented Wellington-based musician and writer, Ruby Solly.
Siu was first inspired to write this song, back in 2019, when her tamariki were becoming more aware of the effects plastic, and pollution, were having on te taiao/the environment. Her whakaaro at the time was to write a waiata that was positive, and encouraging, and that would showcase the beauty of our earth, and naturally, of Papatūānuku, and all that she provides us. The goal is for this song to inspire tamariki (and us all) to fall in love with Papatūānuku, to appreciate te taiao, and to grow to become ngā kaitiaki/guardians of both.
Siu and Leah want to thank NZ on Air Music for the funding they received that made this whole project possible. A bilingual version of this waiata, “Guardians of Papatūānuku” will be released next Thursday (30 September), and production on a music video was delayed, due to lockdown, but is now in the works, with Lasskohl Visuals, and will be released in November.
‘Ngā Kaitiaki o Papatūānuku’ is a waiata that will resonate with all and will inspire a sense of pride and environmental justice for our beautiful whenua, to all who hear it. We can be, and all are, the kaitiaki of Aotearoa. Listen, share and immerse yourself in this inspiring waiata.