20 September 2024 - 0 Comments

Hina’s latest single, Hinātore, is a captivating exploration of the universe’s celestial beginnings from a distinctly Māori perspective. This enchanting waiata celebrates the rich tapestry of Māori language, pūrākau (traditional stories), and taonga pūoro (traditional instruments), and is now available on all streaming platforms.

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Hinātore was birthed on the first day of the APRA Reo Māori SongHubs 2022 at Roundhead Studios in Tāmaki Makaurau. Collaborating with award-winning producer Dan Martin, acclaimed taonga pūoro artist Reti Hedley of IA, and one of Aotearoa’s most esteemed mātanga reo Hana Mereraiha, Hina crafted a track that both honors and reimagines Māori creation stories.

In an innovative twist, Hina has paired the release of Hinātore with an animated music video, created in collaboration with AI technology. Embracing the challenge of blending traditional storytelling with modern visual artistry, Hina chose not to confine the animation to strictly Māori imagery. Instead, the video offers a pan-Moana aesthetic, reflecting the broader Polynesian context of the song’s themes.

“I was fascinated by the opportunity to engage critically and creatively with AI,” Hina explains. “AI struggled with strictly Māori imagery, so I opted for a more Pacifically-ambiguous approach. I wanted the visuals to enhance the mana of our stories while respecting the mauri and wairua of our traditions. I had quite a heavy hand with the AI platforms I was collaborating with. The process was meticulous, I extensively tweaked and edited still images to essentially ‘design’ scenes and characters before moving onto the animation process.”

The single Hinātore recounts Tāne’s quest to bring light to a world shrouded in darkness following the separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku. Tāne requested the the help of his siblings Wainui and Tangotango, asking for their children—the sun, the moon, stars, and other celestial lights—to adorn the chest of Ranginui, illuminating our world as we know it. This story highlights the beauty and complexity of Māori cosmology and its significance in the wider Polynesian mythos.

Hinātore marks a significant milestone for Hina as her first song entirely in te reo Māori, following the success of her 2023 bilingual single Tararua. Aptly released during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week), Hinātore promises to resonate deeply with listeners, celebrating both the beauty of Māori language and the innovative fusion of traditional and modern artistic expressions.

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