With days before te ao Māori descends on Taranaki for Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga, Te Matatini has released a te reo Māori version of the official waiata ‘We Belong.’
Titled ‘Kua Kotahi Rā,’ the song features Corrella, who also performed with L.A.B on the original track.
Te Matatini Chairman, Herewini Parata, says the song will play a major role in the festival, as well as efforts to revitalise te reo Māori.
“I am thrilled to have our Te Matatini o Te Kāhui Maunga festival waiata released in te reo Māori.
“This waiata reflects our commitment to the revitalisation of te reo Māori and will be heard throughout the festival each day.
“We invite you to learn the words, sing along with us, and honour te reo o Aotearoa.”
The original version received a fair bit of backlash online due to the lack of te reo Māori, but according to a Te Matatini source, the release of a te reo Māori version of the song was always on the cards and wasn’t due to the negative publicity the song received from some.
The task of translating ‘Kua Kotahi Rā’ was left in the hands of Te Matatini Life Member and te reo Māori supremo, Tā Tīmoti Kāretu, along with Dame Hinewehi Mohi.
Me reo Māori te waiata nei, ka tika!
E ai ki a Herewini Parata, arā noa atu ngā take me reo Māori te waiata nui nei o Te Matatini o te Kāhui Maunga, mātua rā, ko te tamaiti e tupu nei i tōna reo Māori, i tōna ao Māori anō hoki.
‘Ko te take nui i whakamāoritia e mātou i tēnei waiata, ko ā mātou tamariki kei ngā kura kaupapa, wharekura.
“Te nuinga o ēnei kura, kua rūmakina katoa ki te reo Māori, nā, inaianei, e ahei ana rātou te whakarongo ki tēnei waiata ki te kura.”
E ai ki a Pipiwharauroa Campbell, kaiwaiata o Corella, mā te tuku i te waiata i ngā reo e rua, reo Pākehā mai, reo Māori mai anō hoki, ka horahia te waiata nei ki mua i tētahi whakaminenga nui.
“Having the song for Te Matatini 2025 in both English and te reo Māori is something that we found really important.
“The waiata itself was written to say that all are welcome, and we hope that by having a version in both languages, it will help people across Aotearoa New Zealand and abroad realise that Te Matatini is for everyone.”
Listen to the waiata here: Corrella & Te Matatini - Kua Kotahi Rā
