Music News - Announcing new Te Reo Maori Music Chart - Nga Waiata Kairangi I Te Reo Maori
18 June 2021 - 0 Comments
From tomorrow (Saturday 19th June), a new chart will be added to the Official New Zealand Music Charts: Nga Waiata Kairangi I Te Reo Maori O Te Rarangi 10 O Runga – the Official Top 10 Te Reo Maori Singles of the week.
In order to be eligible for the Official Te Reo Maori Top 10 chart, vocals must be performed primarily in te reo Maori. A general rule is that at least 70% of all the vocals on a track will be in te reo to be considered.
The new chart is supported by Maori musicians across the country including internationally acclaimed singer songwriter Stan Walker (Ngai Te Rangi, Ngati Porou, Tuhoe and Nga Potiki).
“I can only explain the Maori experience, history and culture through te reo – to explain it in English is to diminish it,” says Walker.
“Often when I talk in English, I need to switch to a te reo word as there is no English word to capture exactly what I want to say.
“If te reo is lost, to be Maori is lost. My language must be a living, breathing organ – not a dusty, unread book in a library.”
Singer/songwriter Huia Hamon (Ngati Porou) says the development of a te reo Maori Chart is vital for cultural awareness and understanding.
“Te reo Maori music is part of all of our upbringing in Aotearoa – after all, the names of most of our lakes, rivers and towns are in te reo Maori! Bringing our te reo Maori music into the spotlight is a way to further enhance our bilingual culture and bring more awareness to our native language musicians."
Award-winning hip hop artist Rei (Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Huia) says it’s great to see mainstream Aotearoa using more and more te reo Maori over the last decade.
“There's still a lot of work to do as we move past this current period of tokenism into one of normalisation, and an integrated chart highlighting te reo music will help achieve this – forcing program directors to take more notice of what we're doing."
Recorded Music NZ Chart Compiler Paul Kennedy believes the new chart will help to shine a light on the resurgence of te reo being seen in newly released music from local musicians.
“It’s encouraging to see the shift of the music industry towards supporting those who are writing, recording and producing waiata Maori. We need to continue championing musicians who create music in te reo Maori and recognise their achievements,” says Kennedy.
Recorded Music CEO Damian Vaughan says the introduction of the new chart is a healthy indicator of where the music industry as a whole is heading.
“The fact that there are enough new waiata being recorded in te reo Maori to warrant the creation of a standalone chart is evidence that the industry is evolving and changing,” says Vaughan.
“As te reo Maori continues to become more mainstream in Aotearoa, we will continue to support the efforts of the industry to embrace Te Ao Maori.”
The Official New Zealand Music Charts | Te Papa Tatai Waiata Matua O Aotearoa are released weekly and can be found here.
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