Watch TE KAAHU's Video For 'Waikato'

The te reo Māori project of Theia (Waikato-Tainui, Ngāti Tīpa, Ngāti Amaru), TE KAAHU has returned with news of an imminent debut album TE KAAHU O RANGI, preceded by new waiata 'Waikato'. Produced by Jol Mulholland, the single is a soulful love ballad for Theia's ancestral river, complimented by a video shot on location, edited and directed by Paula Yeoman. Experience the clip below, read Theia's poetic reflections on 'Waikato' and head over HERE for lyrics (with English translation).

“My kui (nana) was raised on the banks of the Waikato, at our marae, by her mother and her mother’s mother. My great kui, Mite Te Aho Karaka Kukutai, has spoken vehemently about the powers of our awa and fought for the government to work with mana whenua to protect Waikato’s wellbeing. In this waiata I have woven in nanny Mite’s whakaaro with tribal pepeha and metaphors to show Waikato’s strength as a motherly force – ‘Tōku awa koiora me ngōu pikonga he kura tangihia o te mātaamuri’ My river of life, each bend more beautiful than the last.” - Theia

'Waikato' is out now on major streaming services.