Original delicious songs from the South Pacific based on ancient legends yet modern and accessible.

15 MP3 Songs
WORLD: Island, KIDS/FAMILY: Kid Friendly



Details:
Kiaora from Aotearoa - the Land of the Long White Cloud (the Maori name for New Zealand.)
Most of these exquisite songs are inspired by the rich tapestry of Maori legends, which are some of the finest in the world, up there with the Greek myths.

Notes about the tracks:
1.Kiaora means "Hello" or "Good day". The lyrics for this song are all greetings.

2.Hinemoa is a famous Maori maiden, ancestor of Te Arawa tribe. Every night, her lover Tutanekai (see track 11)
who lived on Mokoia Island in the middle of Lake Rotorua, played his koauau (Maori flute) to her across the lake. They arranged for Hinemoa to row across the lake to him but her family, suspecting something was up, pulled the waka (canoes) high up the shore so she was unable to move them. She ended up swiming across the lake to her love. This track is a song to her sung by Tutanekai. On track 11, Hinemoa expresses her love to Tutanekai.

3. Mauria wai taki wai
This means âcome and sing my song.â
The track is a nonsense action song.
In the first verse: âauauâ is the bark of a dog, ângawiâ is the howl of a dog, âkekeâ the quack of a duck and âtitiâ the squeak of a mouse.
The second verse features native New Zealand birds: kaka, tui, kiwi â plus âkukuâ, the cry of the kereru (wood pigeon).
In the bridge: âkiti kitaâ is the sound of insects. âpehoâ the hoot of the owl, âpu!â the sound of a musket firing and âriko rikoâ the twinkling of stars.
In the third verse: âaue!â means âalas!â, âhoihoi!â âbe quiet!â, âhope!â âput your hands on your hips!â and âmoimoiâ is what you say when you call a dog.

4. I have plan
This and track 9 are inspired by the legend of the Kopuwai, a strange dog-headed man, who captures a young maiden, Kaiamio, after she becomes separated from her whanau (family) on a food-gathering outing. The Kopowai enslaves her and makes her fetch water from a stream. To ensue she wonât escape, he ties some flax rope to her hair and regularly checks she is there by pulling on the rope. She hatches a plan and escapes by tying her end of the rope to a rock.

5. Parade of the kai moana
Kai moana is seafood.
This track features the sound of the putatara (conch) and Samoan drums.

6. The heart of a kereru.
The kereru is the beautiful New Zealand wood pigeon.
This refers to a gruesome but beautiful legend about a dominating woman who will eat nothing but kereru hearts. After killing all the kereru in the forest, her desperate husband takes their son hunting with him, kills the boy, cuts his heart out and brings it home. After she has eaten it, the wife realises what her husband has done and rushes through the forest calling for her song. Sometimes, when youâre in the bush by yourself, you will hear the eerie sound of this woman.

7. Iâm a tohunga.
A tohunga is a Maori priest.
This and tracks 8 and 14 all refer to the ancient story of âKae and the whale.â Tinirau has a pet whale called Tutunui, who comes when he is called, allows Tinirau to ride on his back and doesnât mind Tinirau, occasionally, cutting a piece of blubber off him. Kae an old tohunga arrives to perform the tohi (baptism) ceremony on Tinirauâs son. When he is shown Tutunui and given a strip of whale meat to eat, Kae has a wicked plan â he pleads with Tinrau to be allowed to ride home on the back of the whale. When Tinirau relents, Kae rides off and, when he arrives home, kills Tutunui and eats him.
When she learns what Kae has done, Tinirauâs wife takes a party of women to Kaeâs island. They entice Kae into a deep sleep with a magic sleeping spell. The problem is, Kae never seems to fall asleep. Eventually, they discover his trick â he has placed pieces of paua (abalone) shell on his eyes so, in the darkness, he appears to be awake. The women return home with Kae and he is punished.

8. Magic sleeping spell.
See notes for track 7.

9. Kua Ngaro au
Kua ngaro au means âI am lostâ and introduces Kiamiao.
See notes for track 4.

10. Kihikihi
Kihikihi is a cicada and also the noise one makes.
In the Maori fable, Kihikihi sings and sits around all day refusing to make any plans for the future. Popokorua (Ant), in contrast, spends the summer collecting food because she knows winter is approaching. (See track 13 for the Antâs song.) When winter inevitably comes, Kihikihi dies of starvation while Popokurua is warm and comfortable in her hole under the tree.

11. Tutanekai
Tutanekai was Hinemoaâs lover.
See notes for track 2

12. Pets/ Ka kite ano
Two short tracks.
Pets is a treasury of Maori bird onomatopoeia.
Ka kite ano means âsee you laterâ and is a farewell song.
- all the lrics are Maori farewells.

13. Wintertime
See notes for track 10.

14. Tutunui
Tutuinui was the name of a pet whlae.
See notes for track 7.

15. Kiaora # 2
See notes for track 1.

The songwriter, Arif Usmani, has written hundreds and hundreds of songs. Other bands that perform his songs are StarFish, Demolition Decorators, Sweet Samaritans, The Aunties, The Jews Brothers, Bodily Functions and The Frank E Evans Entertainment Band.