News | Aro | Music Makers

May 19, 2022

Kia Mau

Ka whiti te rā i runga i te katoa

Ka ua te ua i runga i te tangata

Ahakoa ko wai

Ahakoa nō hea

Ahakoa ōna whakaaro rerekē ki ōku ake

Pūmau ki te aroha

Ko tēnei te rongoa

Kia mau ki te rongo

Kia mau ki te aroha

Kia kaha ki te whakarongo

Kia mārama

He tapu te tangata

He tapu tōna mana

Kia mau ki te rongo

Ki te aroha

Aroha

Kia mau ki te rongo

Kia mua, kia mau!

Listen/Watch

Kia Mau - a translation

The sun shines on everyone

The rain falls on everyone

No matter who they are

No matter where they’re from

Even though their opinions might be different to mine

Hold on to love

This is the solution

Hold on to/Lay hold of peace

Hold on to/Lay hold of love

Be careful to listen

To understand

Every person is sacred

And so is their mana

Hold on to/Lay hold of peace

And love

Love

Hold on to/Lay hold of peace

Hold on, hold on!

May 18, 2022

Excited to share our brand new single & Video, ‘Kia Mau’ and announce we're off on tour next month!

Listen/Watch ‘Kia Mau’ HERE

Artwork by Mike Looker

Inspired by recent events and experiences the pair have released their stunning new Waiata and video clip for ‘Kia Mau’. Aro, proudly brought together, for this very special video, their family and friends - coming together to emphasise the importance of maintaining relationships and respect for people even if we don't agree with them.

‘Kia Mau’ comes off the back of their Top 10 NZ single ‘Tohorā’, released earlier this year. ‘Tohora’ captured hearts & minds around the Motu with the pairs stunning vocals, the videos quintessential, breathtaking New Zealand imagery and the delightful young cast.

Timed perfectly for NZ Music Month, they further this recent success with ‘Kia Mau’, featuring ‘Aro’s’ signature playful and uplifting sound, with vocals melding together perfectly and with an awareness of recent covid related divisions between families and friends, nationwide, at the forefront.

“Our waiata "Kia Mau" is about maintaining relationships and respect with people even if we don't agree with them. "He tapu te tangata ahakoa ko wai" is a mātāpono from the founding document, Te Aho Matua, of kura kaupapa Māori that Charles learnt while at school. It means that a person is sacred no matter who they are or where they come from - or what their opinion is.”

Silver Scroll APRA Maioha Award and APRA Best Children’s Award Finalists, ‘Aro’, are made up of husband and wife Charles (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Te Ata, Te Ati Awa) and Emily Looker (nee Rice). The Auckland based pair share a passion for the power of language and music to tell stories and remind us of our cultural identity. The pair have become well known for their multi-genre offering of storytelling pop, RnB, electronic and jazz, fusing vocals, tāonga puoro and chants, and for often exploring the ideas of kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga - looking after ourselves, looking after each other and looking after our environment.

The duo are also taking their music on the road through June in celebration of Kia Mau and their recent releases. This will be the first time fans and music lovers around the motu will have the chance to hear these songs live , due to covid 19 cancelling 3 of their tours over the past couple of years. The pair are performing from Auckland to Bluff during and around Matariki 2022, as part of the Te Waipounamu Matariki programme - where they will be bringing workshops to schools and public spaces as well as being part of Matariki festivals, and a few ticketed shows along the way. Tour Details below

For the ‘Kia Mau’ video, the pair proudly brought together some of their whanau & friends to put differences aside and unite for this ever-important message. Directed and produced by Tom Grut - who they had the pleasure of working with in the past on projects like their charming single Baby Beat.

“The cast consists of our real family and friends, some of who were a little hesitant to be on camera but tautoko the kaupapa, each with our own beliefs and political views to truly represent what we’re singing about. ‘Kia Mau’ is an encouragement and an invitation to engage in conversation with others, listening to try to understand each other, eye to eye, face to face - kanohi ki te kanohi, and it doesn't mean we have to agree with each other either.”