This week, Ētita Hōata sat down with Waikato artist Theia, to discuss her project Te Kaahu o Rangi. They both were able to have an important kōrero around being Māori and producing mahitoi and a wider space. If you want to be able to check her out, head over to her Instagram and have a look at some of what she’s producing, and stream her new album, Te Kaahu o Rangi.

Nexus: Let’s start off easy as, how are you doing at the moment? With the COVID regulations finally lifting, are you finding yourself busier?

True. I would say that you definitely miss performing, especially as an independent musician. It’s one of the easiest ways to connect with new fans and those who’ve been doing the things and supporting me. I guess also it’s a great way to present your craft, your mahi that you’ve worked so hard on. It just rocked my world being able to present this new record, Te Kaahu, in live shows. 

There’s just something you don’t realise you’re missing, not till you have it back right? I was able to hold a listening party at a friend’s art studio, and it was just small with some friends and those supporting my mahi and we just layed out some whāriki. It was just so nice to have that hapori iwi feel and be able to share.

Nexus: Tell me more about the meaning behind Te Kaahu me Te Kaahu o Rangi? What is this journey for you?

The reason why I decided to set up this project is because with Theia, it’s very experimental and alt-pop but I’d already been composing in reo Māori since I was a teenager. Just recently I had Te Kaiwhakaora O Te Ao that I’d composed and released under Theia and this made me realise that my compositions in mahi reo Māori needed a different space. It’s obviously fine to mix the two, but I wanted to give each project its own mana. For my whānau and nannies that aren’t really into that experimental, in your face alt side of my mahi, I just want them to feel bathed in healing waiata from yesteryear. Each side needs its own mana. 

Te Kaahu’s whole kaupapa is that honouring of my whakapapa, so it’s just right that they are seperated with being the means of carrying them through. Regarding the actual meaning of Te Kaahu, it obviously means “The Hawk.” But the full name, Te Kaahu o Rangi, Rangi comes from Rangirara, my kui or my dad’s mum. She’s been such a formative part of my life. Rangirara means beyond the heavens and when she passed, I just saw kaahu everywhere. Everytime I went back home. So I decided to call the project, Te Kaahu o Rangi. Meaning “The Hawk of the Heavens”

Nexus: Do you feel your sound has changed or heightened with the now common use of Reo?

The mahi with Te Kaahu, there’s a change in atmosphere with a connection towards my tūpuna, so even my personal approach to writing and composition my process changes. It’s almost like a weaving of kupu whakarite and mātauranga that my Nannies have passed onto me. Whakatauki me whakatauaki in the track Waikato, come from my Nanny who’d done some important mahi with the iwi and council, and her mahi surrounding receiving the Tino Rangatiratanga across the awa. So I included them in the waiata, so they can live on in this space.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s a very special process where I feel like I’m also a vessel, or just a Mokopuna, to carry this knowledge that I’ve been blessed to have been taught. I can now put it together for other Mokopuna to be able to take on and bathe in the waiata. And also allow the older generation to just reminisce and heal. That’s why I think Te Kaahu is so important. It’s this fusion of te ao hou, of old knowledge into a young person’s point of view.

Nexus: Your album is set to be played in full in Tāmaki Makaurau on our first recognised Matariki, how are you feeling about that? 

It’s quite a blessing, you know? It is a huge deal as Māori having Matariki is actually observed and recognised. The Matariki show is actually performed on the recognised holiday, on the 24th, so it’s really important to recognise that privilege and that space. The entire line up is other Māori artist and my band of course, so it’s just a really amazing Tino Rangatiratanga to share this space, allowing rangatahi Māori to share this amazing accomplishment and sharing the aroha through waiata. 

It is revitalising having something that’s been around for literally hundreds of years, for our people, be recognized and given mana in that Pākehā space. I think it’s really important to respect that while also showing how big this is for us as Tangata Māori.

Nexus: With regard to the production of Te Kaahu, what did that process look like for you? And working with Mulholland, what were some of the highlights of that process?

It was such a unique process working on this record, it set this standard for how I want to work on my music in the future. I’ve done a few EP’s here and there, with them being done in so many different ways. I’ve been in studios where you’re there from 10-6 and you’re working hard because you’re on time crunch. You really don’t have that time to breathe, that time to look at your mahi and whether there needs to be changed or if something isn’t working.

So with the production of this piece, everything kind of just fell in place and it all just worked with our Tūpuna. I was able to just sit at home, where I felt comfortable with pictures surrounding me, and just produce in my comfort. I would then send it to Jol, the voice memos, with some instrument references and other inspiration. He would just lay that all together, very much just plonk my vocal tracks on top and we’d play around. When we were happy, then I went in and recorded it all with him. It was just such a refreshing, organic Māori process to produce music. 

Nexus: What advice would you give to young wāhine māori who are perhaps looking at producing their own waiata?

Ooh, what a mean question but it has several answers. I suppose the first thing is that with technology, you’re literally able to produce and make everything yourself. You have a cousin who plays guitar, so just record them and put it on your computer, record it into Garageband. If you know any producers, send it to them even. See what they can do. It’s all so easy to make, and then upload it to places like Soundcloud. Don’t be afraid, because you have that power and confidence to do it. 

The second point is, don’t be scared of reaching out to artists that you admire. As long as you’ve done the mahi, you’ve put together a file of your songs and your mahi, then send it to them. There’s so many things that we can just do ourselves. Don’t be whakamā, be confident in your mahi. 

Then the third thing is, don’t ever give up if this is the path you’re meant to be taking. Things can be really tough on your wairua, with certain pressures on things like appearance. There’s endless ways you can do things, so hustle and make it happen. I guess all my points work together but you get the idea.