A new bilingual waiata has been released to mark the first Anzac Day without any living members of the 28th Māori Battalion, after Sir Robert 'Bom' Gillies died last year.
The waiata, titled 'He Aha Te Aha', is a collaboration between singer Nikau Grace, producer Kings, mātanga reo Dr Jeremy MacLeod and Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue.
Grace told Morning Report it was an honour to be approached by Dame Hinewehi Mohi to work on the song.
"She ended up approaching me. I'd done a few things with her before, but one of my koro, he was in the Battalion with koro Bom. So it really hit home and it was really incredible to be asked.
"My personal connection really drew me to the waiata, but also, all that it would hold and the importance that it would represent."
Members of the Māori Battalion at Waitangi, in February 1940. Photo: Supplied/Professor Angela Wanhalla, University of Otago
Grace said while working on 'He Aha Te Aha' with Kings and Macleod, they wanted to take a different stance and highlight the loss and sorrow of war.
"Rather than having a waiata that just talks about all that we have gained because of their sacrifice, we actually really wanted to make sure people knew just what those sacrifices were.
"Something that koro Bom said multiple times in interviews is 'what a waste war is', and if he could do it all over again he wouldn't."
Tā (Sir) Robert Bom Gillies (centre), at a ceremony in 2023 where 78 sets of medals were presented to descendants of the 28th Māori Battalion. Photo: RNZ / Peter de Graaf
Grace explained He Aha Te Aha has different meanings, but could be summed up as 'what a waste'.
Grace also said it was an honour to work with Ngāti Whakaue on the song, who brought their "beautiful harmonies," and were added after their performance at Te Matatini.
"We originally only had myself singing on the waiata, and when Kings went away to produce, something just wasn't feeling right, we were missing something.
"Then Matatini happened, and obviously Ngāti Whakaue's whole bracket was about koro Bom and the Māori Battalion, and it was like 'oh my gosh, they are what we are missing'."
Te Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue, performing at Te Matatini in February, where they won the national Toa Whakaihuwaka - champions title. Photo: Supplied / Te Matatini Enterprises
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