Critically acclaimed singer-and-songwriter Theia has today announced that she will be releasing the debut album from her reo Māori project TE KAAHU on Friday, May 6.
She has also revealed that TE KAAHU will be playing a special one-off show LIVE AT MATARIKI on Friday, June 24 at The Tuning Fork in Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland. This is a rare chance to witness the magic of the album – titled TE KAAHU O RANGI - in its entirety with a live band on Aotearoa’s first-ever Matariki public holiday.
“I’m honoured to perform my album for the first time, which is also the first year Matariki is observed as a national celebration. Matariki represents rebirth, gathering together and remembering our dearly departed, these are also the themes explored in TE KAAHU O RANGI,” says Theia.
Get tickets HERE
Composed by Theia (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Tīpa) in te reo Māori, and produced by the award-winning Jol Mulholland, the TE KAAHU O RANGI album is an immersive experience, in which Theia’s ethereal and dreamy vocals take centre stage against a backdrop of nostalgic production. Using kupu whakarite (metaphor), pepeha (sayings) and whakataukī (proverbs), Theiaweaves together a magical tapestry of lyricism and sound, which pays tribute to her tūpuna wāhine (female ancestors).
Theia has also launched a Boosted campaign HERE with the goal of getting the album made on vinyl. The Boosted campaign kicks off today and will run until May 4.
“This is an independent project… I’ve managed to cover most costs myself. But there is one thing that I would dearly love, but simply cannot afford, and that is to present these songs in the way they would’ve been heard in years gone by - on vinyl. For me to be able to present this as a taonga tuku iho - a treasure to be cherished and played for years to come, would mean the world to me. No matter how small the koha. It all matters,” says Theia.
TE KAAHU - Live at The Tuning Fork, Auckland
Friday June 24
Tickets HERE