Maori-Samoan singer Jordyn Rapana, also known by her stage name ‘Jordyn with a Why’, has been nominated for Best Pacific female artist at this year’s Pacific Music Awards.
Despite losing out on the award last year she said it’s an honour to be in a category with musicians she has always looked up to.
“Kua riro ahau i teetehi nomination mo te waahanga Best Female Artist at the Pacific Music awards. He honore nui teeraa.
“He honore nui kia noho i teeraa taumata i te taha o ngaa kaiwaiata peeraa i a Aaradhna. He honore nui teeraa, kaaore e au i tino whakaaro peera ki ahau. Noo reiraa, aae!”
“Yes, I have earned one nomination for the “Best Female Artist” category in the Pacific Music Awards. So that’s a huge honour.
“It’s an honour to be amongst that calibre beside singers like Aaradhna. It’s a great honour, never did I think that would be me. So yeah!”
The singer grew up in South Auckland and spent a year at Te Wananga Takiura o Nga Kura Kaupapa Maori o Aotearoa in hopes of reclaiming her reo.
“Ko taku hiahia kia tuitui i ngaa taha e rua. I eenei waa kua tito ahau i eetehi waiata e rua, ko te reo Paakehaa me te reo Maaori. Taku hiahia mo te anamata kia tuitui i te reo Maaori me te reo Haamoa.”
“My aspiration is to sing in both languages. At the time I had already written two songs in English and Māori. My aspiration for the next phase is to sing in Māori and Samoan.”
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Rapana has been working on her first album and it will be bilingual with a track list of 10 songs.
“Kia whakaatu i taku tuakiri. He wahine Haamoa, he wahine Maaori hoki. Noo reiraa ko taku hiahia kia puta atu eetehi atu waiata, peenei i a au.”
“To show my skin. You know, I’m a Samoan and Māori woman. Therefore that’s my aspiration to release songs that show myself.”
The Pacific Music Awards will be held on August 29 at Manukau’s Due Drop Events Centre.