Watch: Katchafire perform on Flava radio station. Video / Flava
This year's waiata anthems participants include Kiwi favourite Katchafire with their hit song 100 or what can now be called Karawhiua.
Waiata Anthems started in 2019 as a music project by Hinewehi Mohi to support NZ musicians to embrace te reo Māori in their work. This time around it has become a documentary series.
Katchafire were among seven artists selected for the 2021 documentary series, alongside household names like Che Fu, Bic Runga, Annie Crummer and rangatahi favourites Drax Project and Melodownz.
Katchafire lead singer Logan Bell told the Herald that Karawhiua was written to the women in their lives who hold down the fort when the band are on tour.
"It's an anthem for our girls when we're gone," he said, including his mother who was the inspiration behind the song.
"She would ask how my brother and father are doing because they're in the band as well. I'd tell her 'Mum, just worry about home, I'll worry about the road'.
"It's [also] about women who support their whānau, their tane, supporting their dreams."
Bell said the song is "sincere and endearing" and the te reo flavour made it so much more significant.
Doing a doco-series was different for Bell which he said was a 5-day shoot.
"It was very personal, having the cameras in my mum and dad's house, sharing photos of our dead grandparents, talking about our whakapapa and bringing you all along on that journey and opening up our hearts to that."
It is the first reo waiata for the band which meant some challenges.
"I felt a lot of pressure at the start but after getting to know everyone [in Waiata Anthems] and their journey with their reo, I was able to settle in more."
It also meant assistance for translation.
Māori language advocate Paraone Gloyne who is a pioneer of the Mahuru Māori movement which promotes the speaking of te reo Māori in daily lives translated the song.
"Funny story is that he refused to speak to me in English, so I had to get my daughter to translate everything for me," Bell said.
"I think Paraone really nailed it. The words were easy to retain and felt natural.
"I've been wanting to do a Māori song for a long time but we wanted to make sure it was done right and perpetuate our culture in the best light possible."
Bell said it has opened up exploration to do more songs in te reo, old and new. The band has also extended the song for kura kaupapa use and invites schools to learn and sing it.
Katchafire will be singing both Karawhiua and 100 in future performances.
