Renowned, golden-voiced artists Mara TK, Raakai Whauwhau, Victor Hawkins and Ria Hall are set to release the first collaborated single from a 10-track album that honours the land, people, story and survivors of a once-thriving Māori community in Waikato named Rangiaowhia.
Originally a highly prosperous community, Rangiaowhia was known as a peaceful sanctuary of refuge until “a day of terrorism" or “Paahuatanga”, which saw its end in 1864. Recorded as one of the most horrific, but also unacknowledged massacres in New Zealand’s history, an invasion of colonial troops on the 21st of February 1864, resulted in over half of the 200 locals present being left wounded, captured, raped, incinerated and murdered.
Elders of surviving tribes Ngaati Apakura and Ngaati Hinetuu are behind the project, which has taken the four talented artists on a journey to learn about the history of the people and their land that they each have a direct genealogical connection to.
Titled “APAKURA”, the debut single is a collaboration between the artists and a group of music students from local school Te Wharekura o Ngaa Purapura o Te Aroha. Doubling as an artist for the album, producer Mara TK says, “This first waiata references the incredible state of the land before the massacre, in all its fullness and prosperous lushness.
A tribute to the survivors of Rangiaowhia and their descendants, the song acknowledges the resilience of Ngaati Apakura and Ngaati Hinetuu and seeks to celebrate their continued existence today.