LISTEN HERE
Popular Aotearoa group Corrella have today released their new uplifting and anthemic Te Reo Māori waiata ‘Ko Au’.
Made with the support of Te Māngai Pāho and NZ On Air through Waiata Takitahi funding, ‘Ko Au’ was written by Corrella’s lead singer Pipiwharauroa Campbell (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti He, Ngāti Pukenga). “It’s all about being happy with who you are, where you’re from and your own culture - and being proud of that,” says Pipiwharauroa. “There is a power to knowing who you are and accepting that. ‘He waiata e kaha akiaki i te tangata ki te whakanui I tōna ake nei tuakiritanga.’ For some it’s easier said than done, but hopefully ‘Ko Au’ speaks to people about this.
“For me personally, I went through my own identity crisis, and for a while I didn’t really want to be Māori. But I’m thankful that that period of my life was short-lived. So, this waiata speaks to me personally on that and my real want to get this message out there. It also reflects our diversity in the band and our commitment to normalising Te Reo Māori. ‘Kaua e huna, patua te taniwha’ which for me translates to ‘Don’t waste your time being afraid and don’t hide who you are’ and speaks to being brave.”
This vibrant waiata has been skillfully crafted to ensure the perfect marriage between music and lyrics. It was recorded at Parachute studios, produced by Jimmy Colbert, mixed by Christian Tjandrawinata and mastered by Vivek Gabriel. Pipiwharauroa says ‘Ko Au’ is another good taste of what’s to come in Corrella’s upcoming debut album - out May 26. “The quality of music is lifting with us as a band and is showcased in this track. We hope people can vibe with it.”
‘Ko Au’ is the latest in a line of hits from Corrella, such as ‘Skankin’, ‘We On (Catch-22 Remix)’, ‘Raumati’ and ‘Raumati (Isdale Remix)’ and ‘Little Circles’ - all having featured in the Official NZ Charts, RadioScope Charts and NZ Shazam Top 200 for multiple weeks. Corrella formed in 2017 and is made up of Te Naawe Tupe (Ngāi Tūhoe) - rhythm guitarist and hype man, Pipiwharauroa Campbell (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti He, Ngāti Pukenga) - lead singer, Codi Wehi-Ngati (Ngāti Maniapoto) - bass guitarist, Rebekah Brady (Te Arawa, Nga puhi) - lead vocalist, Taula Schuster (Samoa, Niue) - piano and keyboard, “Ulu” Tom Scrase – drummer and proud Wellingtonian who creates and play’s Taonga Puōro, and Joshua Faletutulu- lead guitarist. Their summer single ‘Skankin’ (released December 2022), has been filling the Aotearoa airwaves, and consistently placing in both RadioScope and Official NZ Charts alongside ‘Raumati’, the group's first full Te Reo Māori Waiata, which featured in Waiata Anthems 2022. They released their debut single ‘Summertime in Aotearoa’ in late 2020, which quickly made it onto the NZ Music charts. They then went on to release their debut 5-track self-titled EP in 2021, with an impressive three tracks off the EP making it onto the NZ Music Charts. With a much anticipated debut album soon to be released from this fast rising Aotearoa super group, make sure you’re following!