Stan Walker's ‘Te Arohanui’, marks an important and deeply personal milestone for the award-winning Māori performing artist, as he shares his first body of work in Reo Māori.
“It was inevitable that I would release a reo Māori album. It wasn’t a matter of if, but when. Now is the perfect time. The first waiata I remember singing were ‘Whakaaria Mai’ and ‘Ma Te Mārie’. Our reo, our waiata, our hīmene are a huge part of my whakapapa and upbringing. Being Māori, nō Ngai Te Rangi, Ngāti Pūkenga, Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou, Tūhourangi, Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngai Tahu, it is in my DNA, it is in my blood. I credit my voice and all that it holds to all those who have come before me. My tupuna fought and died so that I, we could be all that we should be. Their dreams have been bought to life in this album. I am their legacy. This is a dedication of aroha to them. To sing in te reo māori and release music in my native tongue is healing, uplifting and empowering. Our reo brings life to the world. It brings life to me. It’s an honour to have been gifted this taonga. Now I gift this taonga to the world.”