Waerea
by Mokotron
Songs needn’t say something of merit or weight, but those that provoke or challenge often offer more than mere escapism.
In this season – inundated by numerous local singles promising South Pacific-inspired roots reggae with elements of soul, funk and pop for afternoons around the barbecue – we might observe wearily, “Great, just what this country needs, another soul-reggae single saying nothing much.”
Which makes Waerea – a strident, political album of intense breakbeats, indigenous politics, taonga puoro and rumbling low frequencies to shake the speakers – so welcome.
Waerea gatecrashes the backyard summer reggae party to remind us of the political landscape following the hīkoi opposing Act’s Treaty Principles Bill.
The te reo Māori lyrics in the opening waiata Kōkiri, apparently written on the night of the 2023 election, include in translation, “Be watchful, be alert. Working class people, militant allies, supporters, people of the land stand together, arise.”
Mokotron – Dr Tiopira McDowell, head of Te Wānanga o Waipapa (School of Māori Studies), University of Auckland – says the electro-dub Kōpeke “could best be described as Ngāpuhi chest-beating nationalism” although he makes no great claim for the lyrics: “rhythmic gibberish, churlish obscurity, or a writing exercise”. But the medium is the message and it’s an assertive, powerful piece on an album that identifies its targets – colonisation, racism, land confiscations, those who would deny tangata whenua their rights and minimise te reo – and takes to them with blunt patu: “Ko wai koe, ki te whakarite i ngā ture?/Who the fuck are you, to decide the laws?”
As always in cases of political fury, some will baulk at the broad-brush accusations and those objecting to the profanity will be missing the meaning.
Waerea is an urban album at the intersection of electronica, chants, dub, waiata, political manifesto and urban disruption from Mokotron (Ngāti Hine/Ngāpuhi) who, with a clenched fist, describes this as “trauma-driven Māori bass straight outta Tāmaki Makaurau”.
Perhaps it’s a hard call for its relentless and insistent delivery, but although we may indulge ourselves in benign summer-vibe reggae for a few weeks, Waerea might be the jolt we need when barbecue season is over.
Skeletons
by Corrella
The Blue Eyed Māori hitmakers return with an album that ticks familiar boxes between reggae and soul but weaves through social observation and jazzy horns (the smart Power), politics within yacht rock (the less than subtle Cookie about Captain Cook), reggae on the march (War, with “I shouldn’t want to fight no more, but in the end, it’s always been this way”) and moments of quiet reflection waiting for a lover to come round (All There Is).
There’s local observation (Too Chur) and enjoyable parochialism, too: “If I don’t see tomorrow, this is all I need. An ice cold Lion Red, a backseat for a bed”, on For the Night.
Sure, they sometimes don’t mess much with populist reggae templates (Devils, Crazy Good, the appealing How Will I Know with Ngawaiwera Campbell) but Corrella do add some lyrical bite to songs that play well at the barbecue.
Skeletons is available digitally, on CD and vinyl. Waerea is available digitally and on vinyl.
