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.”
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.