When given the option to re-record two of her singles, Tapara jumped at the opportunity, choosing Waves and Too Much to H8 for the project.
Tapara felt her song Taiāniwha / Waves would have a nice sound in te reo Māori, but when it came to Too Much to H8 she knew the song would gain a deeper "spiritual and metaphorical" meaning.
"I learned about the Māori language and how descriptive it is, you can say so much in Māori and it will have so much depth," she said.
The singer-songwriter admits she wasn't raised in a "Māori environment" but says being part of this kaupapa has "inspired" her to learn te reo Māori.
"I prefer to sing it in Māori because when you sing it in Māori you say more, in the English language you are saying how it is but in Māori language you are saying so much more."
Although she loved seeing her songs transition from English to te reo Māori, there were times where Tapara struggled and faced some personal challenges.
"I found it hard because I didn't know and I wish I knew," she said.
In the past Tapara said she has been looked down on because she didn't know how to speak te reo Māori despite being Māori.
"It's interesting when you learn to sing in te reo Māori it teaches you how to speak a lot better," she said.
After re-recording her two records, Tapara noticed her pronunciation for Māori words like place names had improved.
Tapara said she was grateful to have been a part of the kaupapa and hopes her song will encourage others.
"Now we are in a safe space and people are encouraged to learn it [te reo Māori], we should take that and feel really grateful and embrace it as much as we can."
• Waiata Anthems week (September 6-12) is a week fully dedicated to waiata reo Māori, where more than a dozen New Zealand artists have re-recorded their tracks in te reo Māori.
• Listen to Waiata Anthems on iHeartRadio
