Music Industry News

“Nau mai rā ngā manuhiri e, mauria mai tō koutou aroha – Welcome visitors, bring your love”, is the uniting call in Hamilton-based Aotearoa reggae band, Son & Water’s first te reo Māori single, ‘Nau Mai’.

Blending te reo Māori with the band’s unique, soulful reggae sound, the track promotes a powerful message of kōtahitanga, aroha and belonging, welcoming manuhiri into Son & Water’s world, space and whānau.

‘Nau Mai’ was written by Daimond Porima Ferguson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Hikairo, Ngāti Hauā), and his father Jamey Ferguson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Ruapani), a respected musician and one of the founders of renowned reggae band, Katchafire. The waiata opens with the pepeha of Ngāti Hikairo ki Kāwhia, affirming the importance of identity, heritage and knowing who you are.

Daimond says the single is a chance for people to put everything aside and be together.

“Whether you’re new to Aotearoa, or this is home, ‘Nau Mai’ is about putting your worries aside and connecting through music,” he says.

The single was produced by Grammy-nominated international producer, Jason “J-Vibe” Farmer, whose credits include Maoli, Josh Tatofi and Fiji. It was written at Precise Digital during J-Vibe’s visit to Aotearoa in 2025, with Jamey saying the workshop experience pushed him creatively.

“Writing a waiata from scratch in one day was an intense and hectic process, but it was exciting,” he says. “The more I listen to it, the more relaxed I feel. It’s teaching me more about myself and my children.”

The single was a collaborative effort, with songwriting support from Son & Water bass player Terry Apiata (Ngāti Awa, Tūhoe) and guidance and translation from mātanga reo, Te Kiwa Goddard (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Maniapoto) who described it as a “privilege” to work alongside the father and son duo.