13th Floor New Song Of The Day: Theia – E Hine Ē

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Acclaimed singer and songwriter Em Walker (Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Tiipaa) has today revealed a new TE KAAHU waiata – the exquisite ‘E Hine Ē’. Here is the record company blurb with details:

Walker – who is best known as her alt-pop alter ego Theia – established the reo Māori project TE KAAHU during lockdown in 2020; releasing ‘E Taku Huia Kaimanawa’. Now she follows it up with ‘E Hine Ē’. 

Written and produced by Walker herself, ‘E Hine Ē’ is a devastatingly beautiful ballad with angelic choir-like vocals and soaring melodies; held by the warm and nostalgic familiarity of a ‘Māori strum’ and poetic lyrics in te reo Māori.

“This is a waiata aroha. It is for any girl or woman you have loved or ever will love,” says the Ōtautahi-born artist.

In keeping with the powerful simplicity of ‘E Hine Ē’, is a video shot by well-known Auckland-based fashion photographer and videographer, Frances Carter. The video holds the gaze of Walker, who’s adorned by a hei matau pounamu (symbol of abundance, determination, strength) and holds the matakiirea kaahu – a manu rangatira (esteemed bird of high status), which is representative of the project’s namesake and a personal kaitiaki (guardian).

Walker, who is fluent in te reo Māori and holds a BA double majoring in Māori Indigenous studies and Te Reo Rangatira from University of Canterbury, is a fierce proponent for the revitalisation of reo Māori and recently featured in an article in Rolling Stone Australia discussing this.

‘E Hine Ē’ and ‘E Taku Huia Kaimanawa’ are the first singles from the debut TE KAAHU album, which Walker is currently working on alongside new Theia music. The next single ‘Rangirara’ is set for release in late August.

Although TE KAAHU is seemingly a world away from the high-energy sound of Theia, there is an unmistakable strength and mana that runs through Walker’s work in both reo Māori and English. Walker is at the forefront of a new generation of young creatives in

Marty Duda
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