Moana & the Tribe’s new album, ONO, will celebrate six Indigenous wāhine from places where they have performed.
Releasing this Friday, the group, led by Moana Maniapoto, shares a final preview with the song “Ātahu,” honouring Hawaiʻi.
The song features guest Hawaiian vocalist Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole, with production by Paddy Free.
The release date is significant as it marks the anniversary of He Whakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni, which recognized the rights of Māori tribes in Aotearoa in 1835. It is also Labour Day in Aotearoa, a holiday that honours the fight for an eight-hour workday that began in 1890 and ongoing workers’ rights.
Maniapoto shares, “I was keen to find a Hawaiian vocalist for our final song but struggled. I mentioned it to reo advocate Hemi Kelly and he recommended Kaumakaiwa. My manager Sol tracked her down and I flew to O‘ahu to be with her when she recorded her vocals. Kaumakaiwa reminded me that we’d met 20 years ago amid the dusty, majestic ruins of Greece. My group represented Aotearoa New Zealand in the Cultural Olympiad that led up to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
“Kaumakaiwa was a teenager then, the star of the Hawaiians’ group. Since then the transgender Hawaiian (mahu wahine) has been described as “the voice of a generation”. It was astounding and perhaps prescient that we ended up collaborating again twenty years after – like it was meant to be.”
ONO means “six” in Māori and is a concept album that starts in Aotearoa and travels the world. Each track showcases the voice, language, and culture of six Indigenous wāhine from places where Moana & the Tribe has performed.
The Māori lyrics, written by Te Manahau Scotty Morrison, are inspired by traditional karakia (incantations) and honor “people power,” relationships, and language.
The album features production by Paddy Free and explores locations from Norway to Australia, Canada, and Taipei. The goal is to create a collection that symbolizes unity.
Moana & the Tribe’s “Ātahu feat Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole” is out now.
