Wellington City Libraries

Te Matapihi Ki Te Ao Nui

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Wai

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Music we hold — on our catalogue

The majority of our Wellington CD collection is available from our Te Awe Branch in Brandon St, or able to be reserved for free from our Distribution Centre in Johnsonville.

We say:

Tuhia te hā o te reo Māori ki te rangi, e kaha ai te mapu o te manawa ora, e rekareka ai te taringa whakarongo, e waiwai ai te karu mātakitaki

Let the Maori language be heard on the airwaves. Thereby causing the heart to leap with joy, the ear to appreciate it’s eloquence and the eyes to moisten at its impact.

WAI are a five piece maori electronica roots band based in Porirua – Wellington, Aotearoa.

It has always been their dream to create new and innovative music that sounds like where it originates from and take it to the world. WAI perform entirely in the Maori language and utilize a Maori style of presenting their music not only in the structure and fusion of their music but also in the delivery of their show.

In the year 2000 the group released their first album WAI – 100%. In 2010 they released their second album WAI –
ORA.

WAI have created Maori Electronica Roots World Music from traditional Maori song structures fused with electronica. They incorporate mono tonal vocal constructions, organic natural beats and rhythms (human breaths, insect and bird sounds), indigenous percussion (poi), and action sounds (body slaps, foot stamping and hand clapping) with contemporary jungle, funk, reggae, hip-hop and deep house grooves.

WAI has shown that the Maori music tradition is universal and has a rightful place not only in New Zealand music, but also in world music. WAI has also shown that despite the language of the lyrics, Maori music can be enjoyed and appreciated by people the world over.

Totally unlike anything heard before, anywhere in the world, WAI is a breathtaking and inspirational expression of original Maori Waiata (music) performed in Te Reo Maori (language).

WAI is refreshing music, flowing with emotion, rich with soulful melodies, beating with complex rhythms. Music of such spirit can only come from profound personal events.

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