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Bird Like Men

by Tararua

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1.
Pikipiki 02:09
Pikipiki Pikipiki Ka pikipiki te aka matua Pikipiki Pikipiki Kia puta mai te ihu ki Rākiatea Climb, climb Climb the parent vine Climb, climb So you may arrive diligently at Rākiatea
2.
Tūtūmaiao 05:06
Worry not ye bird like men, for we are like the tītī bird coming back home again. Worry not ye bird like men, for we are not the kererū who choose not to roam. Tūtūmaiao, haehae one Ka tau rā Nā Raki e Whakamīharo ana te kite Kā Kurakura o Hinenuitepō Tūtūmaiao, haehae one Ka tau rā Nā Raki e He tohu ka wehe rā He rakatira o te Toka e
3.
Tāiria mai, Hinepūkohuraki e Te rehu puoro e whakataki nei Tāiria mai, tāiria mai Te rehu puoro Tua atu i te ārai Hinepūkohuraki’s mists hover mysterious sounds call to me from beyond the veil.
4.
Haereka 05:50
If I fall let me fall onto land that is mine. If I fall let me fall onto land that is mine. Now I know that what lies ahead now was behind. Now I know that what lies ahead now was behind.
5.
I am here solid rock precious minerals dark soil Layers of life and death I am here no need to roam like Tāne filling orifices seeking, yearning, groaning My time machine womb a channel souls moving In and out I am Papa I am Hineteiwaiwa I am Hineahuone I am Hinetītama I am Hinenuitepō I am Hinearoaropari I am Hinearoraki I am Hakeke I am Amiria I am Rahera I am Moke I am Bertha I am here.
6.
Kōhaka 05:03
Nau mai e tama, kia mihi atu au i hara mai rā koe i te kuneka mai o te takata i roto i te āhuru mōwai ka taka te wai o huaki pōuri ko te whare hakahaka tēnā a Tānenuiaraki i te one i Kurawaka I tātaia ai te Puhiraki ka whakawhetū tama i a ia, ka mārō tama i te ara namunamu ki te taiao ka kōkiri tama i a ia ki te autūroa, e tama! Welcome, oh son, let me address you you have indeed come from the origin of mankind from the cosy haven emerged the barrier-of-darkness-ajar; the abode of the renowned Tāne of the heavens on the sands of Kurawaka where the exalted was once adorned, thus, the son changed into a star, son, you remained steadfast on the narrow pathway to the wide world then you leaped forth into the enduring world.
7.
Pū Harakeke 04:10
Te rito, te rito Ko te manawa, ko te manawa, Ko te manawa o te whānau He ōrite te whānau ki te pūharakeke Te matua, te matua Whakamarua, whakamarua Hei awhi mō te rito He ōrite te whānau ki te pūharakeke Te hākui te whare takata Kā reaka e whai ake nei Whakamarua, kā here takata He ōrite te whānau ki te pūharakeke Whakaruruhia te rito Manaakihia te rito Kia hua, kia pūāwai The rito (inner leaf of the harakeke) is the heart of the whānau The whānau is like the harakeke cluster The father Protect and embrace the rito (baby) The mother is the house of the people The generations yet to come Protect the rope of humanity (whakapapa) The whānau is like the harakeke cluster Protect the rito Nourish the rito So it will flourish and bloom
8.
Aroraki 06:38
9.
Puaka 06:29
Puaka me kā kapa whetū tohu o te tau Wheriko i kā tohu pūhihi whetū e ki te toka te toka Dawn riser our survivor take my hand up to the hills piki mauka piki ora scattered eyes shine from the black Nā te pō ki te ao mārama Te Tāua nui o te pō “Piri mai”, she says to her daughters six each one of us are tasked with a realm to hold in my hands in their hands water flowing through Waitī, waitā Waipunaraki Tupuānuku Tupuāraki Ururaki Hiwa-i-te-raki Pōhutukawa Matariki Puaka Kai Rau E Takurua haere ki tō whaiāipō these long cold nights are held by you these long cold nights where memories swim call their names to Pōhutukawa cry their names to the black wind ‘til they light up the night - Burning through the black

about

Oro Records is proud to present art music ensemble ‘Tararua’ and the release of their first album ‘Bird Like Men’ which brings together their southern influences with sound worlds from both te ao Māori and te ao Pākehā.

‘Tararua’ (meaning ‘two peaks’), connects whakapapa, from mountains in both North and South Islands, this contemporary New Zealand art music weaves the voices of Aoraki, the tūrakawaewae of Ruby Solly and Ariana Tikao, winding through Te Waipounamu-raised, Wellington based artist Al Fraser, and merging into Phil Boniface’s birthplace and connection with the Tararua ranges.

Their evocative music combines taonga pūoro, waiata, karakia and pūrākau (story) with a strong southern Māori influence, with the western instrumental elements of the cello and doublebass. The ensemble is made up of four established artists Al Fraser, Ariana Tikao, Ruby Solly and Phil Boniface; who are each leaders in their various fields.

The album draws upon a range of musical stylings including, jazz, folk, and traditional musics from the whakapapa of different band members. With kōrero in the form of lyrics and poetry from both Solly and Tikao, as well as from whānau manuscripts of Tikao, such as in their second single ‘Tūtūmaiao’. “I started singing the reo Māori lyrics, some of which came from an excerpt of an ancient waiata partially quoted in the book Tikao Talks, by my pōua Teone Taare Tikao. He talked about Tūtūmaiao being the name of an ancient battle in “one the Hawaikis””, said Tikao. Other lyrics woven into the klezmer-inspired groove are by Ruby Solly. “My lyrics are a tribute to kōrero from Kāi Tahu Whānui about how our people are like the tītī birds, migrating and travelling around the world, but always coming back to our spiritual homeland of Te Waipounamu,” said Solly. There is also a thematic connection to the southern Māori rock art of bird people at the Maerewhenua site in Otago, adding a deeper layer still to the music.

credits

released July 19, 2021

Released July 23rd 2021

Ruby Solly cello, vocal ngā taonga pūoro
Ariana Tikao vocal, ngā taonga pūoro
Phil Boniface double bass
Alistair Fraser ngā taonga puoro

Recorded by Lee Prebble at The Surgery
Mixed by David Long
Mastered by Mike Gibson

Artwork by Ruby Solly
Design by Alistair Fraser

Thanks to Creative New Zealand for their assistance with this project.

Thanks to Te Runanga o Moeraki for permission to use the bird-man art work inspired by the rock art at Maerewhenua.

Ngā mihi nui.

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Oro Records Wellington, New Zealand

Oro records: a virtual ātea where the voices of taoka pūoro and the oro that feeds them combine, to wānaka, and share the gift of sound woven into the world around us.

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