23 February 2023 - 0 Comments

After a year of wananga (learning), composing and recording; taonga pūoro band IA present The Art Of, their debut six-song EP out today.

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With the goal to promote their culture and inspire young Māori to continue the exploration of taonga pūoro, the Waikato-based trio has created an organic body of work with mātauranga (knowledge) Māori at its core. A soul-infused musical journey providing listeners with an authentic glimpse into the world of toi Māori, te reo Māori and taonga pūoro. Music that is equally as culturally rich as it is contemporary and easy listening.

The six Toi Māori that inspired this EP are; Whakairo (carving), Tā moko (tattoo), Raranga (weaving), Poi (swinging tethered weights), Tāonga Pūoro (traditional Māori Instruments) and Mau Rākau (Māori martial art). Created with guidance from experts in each of these fields the waiata tell the stories, share the teachings and express the quintessence of Toi Māori through lyrics, and the use of traditional instruments.

IA have dived into the spectrum of Māori musical creativity to embody the expression of these artforms. Opening track Whakamireirei (the art of mau rākau) is a warm introduction to the EP and features smooth vocals and the alluring sound of scraping toka (rock instruments). Listeners will also be treated to a native twist on your typical brass section, as three traditional instruments including a pūkāea (wooden trumpet) and two different pūtātara (Conch) have been harmonised together to create a lush hornline.

Moetu Smith shares about the EP: “Listeners can expect to hear a modernized twist on Taonga pūoro use. We’ve been able to create a new dimension of their reo (voices). It challenged us on many occasions but the highlight for me was discovering a lot of new elements of my culture.

2021 Māori Music Award finalists IA create indigenous soul music. Their compositions blend old with new and feature the voices found with traditional Māori instruments/taonga pūoro. The puoro voices are blended with modern instruments, ancient poetic writing style and modern soulful melodies. IA has been discovering new frontiers with traditional Maori instruments by using taonga puoro as the driving force in their creative process. Featuring Moetu Smith, Reti Hedley and Turoa Pohatu, the Waikato based band is dedicated to showcasing taonga puoro and Te Reo Maori in their music.

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