Music Industry News

Contemporary Māori artist ALLANA Goldsmith releases ‘MANAAKITIA’, a beat-heavy waiata (song) produced by Juse. True to herself, the singer and songwriter once again transcends genre boundaries, letting the story of ‘MANAAKITIA’ unfold through beautifully woven lyrics, imbued with integrity and mana throughout the track.

The waiata is a call to cherish and care for one another and for all of us. It speaks of te aka matua, the parent vine that Tāwhaki climbed to reach the heavens. To nurture our taonga—precious tangible and intangible treasures—so we are never lost, e kore e ngaro. ALLANA shares, “This single is for you to feel secure and embraced in eternal threads that bind us all. You’re invited to soak up metaphors of well-known and ancient wisdoms passed down over generations. This soothing waiata is a powerful message speaking to us all through the unity of mankind, ngā tāngata katoa”.

Accompanying the release is a stunningly intimate music video directed by Shivani Karan and filmed in Auckland at Unitec’s Te Noho Kōtahitanga Marae and Te Rangimārie Pā Harakeke. The visuals introduce us to ALLANA’s taonga, her whānau, and feature them making putiputi (flax flowers) on the mahau (front of the wharenui).

Today’s Matariki release is the first of three te reo Māori singles all funded by Te Māngai Pāho, due for release this year ahead of ALLANA’s trip to Mundial Festival (Canada) as a Creative New Zealand delegate.

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ALLANA Goldsmith is a Māori (NZ) contemporary artist weaving her own story with integrity and mana through every waiata. FANs can expect ALLANA’s music to be uniquely Māori, and a stupendous reflection of Aotearoa music. A singer/songwriter journeying and re-wakening through original music. Her music widely varied and blended in genre. The common theme is her strong original voice. Her most streamed waiata, Kore Rawa, under the artist name Goldsmith Baynes, is a funky blues song, with over 65,000 streams. It was part of the duo’s collaborative and critically acclaimed Māori jazz album ‘E Rere Rā’ (2022), funded by Creative NZ. ‘MANAAKITIA’ is the first of three te reo Māori singles all funded by Te Māngai Pāho, due for release this year.

Photo credit: Laura Tait