Two highly talented teenagers did more than gain national prominence when they won last year's Korihi 2020 with their original waiata 'Waimarie.' They also made a massive contribution to Shine on Kaitaia, which they named as their chosen charity to receive the $50,000 prize.
The windfall became official at a small ceremony at Te Ahu, where April Hetaraka, from He Whānau Marama Trust, received the prize on Shine on Kaitaia's behalf.
Tiare Lanigan (then 13) and Waimarino Tait (14), both students at Te Kura Takiwa o Tāipa, had been so busy writing songs for Smoke-Free Rockquest, and Pacifika Beats, and taking out more awards from the E tu Whānau songwriting competition, surprised some when they found the time to enter the waiata competition Korihi, a national quest to find Māori contemporary music composers able to create waiata that captured and reflected the impact of Covid-19 on whānau, hapū, iwi and communities across the country, but enter it they did. The competition was organised and funded by the National Urban Māori Authority (NUMA), Whānau Ora, Māori Television and Te Whakaruruhau o Nga Reo Irirangi Māori.
'WAIMARIE' was about how fortunate they are to be provided for by their land: "We can always rely on it so long as we take care of it.".
Their win did not altogether come as a surprise to Micah Tawhara.
