Artist Regan Balzer and Oceans Before Me Charitable Trust co-founder and executive managing director
Daphiney Owen with the first panel of what will be the full album cover.
“Today, as we release the first waiata from the album, it represents the first fruits of the project. There’s a sound coming from our people, our iwi, and from our land.
“It is a flourishing sound that’s contagious, the sound of life and healing.”
With that poignant opening statement on Friday, emcee Jade Hohaia Te Uri Karaka set the stage for what was a moving occasion.
The News was there as, at a private screening at Te Awamutu’s Regent Theatre ahead of its wider release, the first single and
music video – titled Apakura – of a 10-track album being produced as a collaboration between Oceans Before Me Charitable Trust
and rangatira, artists and school children was unveiled.
A packed house watched as the video for Apakura was played for the first time.
Founded by Daphiney Owen, stage name Vox Dawn, and her husband Oceans Before Me Charitable Trust tells indigenous stories through music.
“We don’t direct, we support,” she said.
The trust’s second project – having already worked on an initiative to raise awareness of the 1970s dawn raids in Auckland – is titled the 1864 Rangiaowhia Massacre Project.
Every song on the album is about Rangiaowhia.
It features video from last month’s Mānawatia a Matariki celebrations in Kihikihi. Vocalist Ria Hall, Ngāti Apakura, is
in the Apakura video, with six students from Te Awamutu wharekura Te Wharekura o Ngā Purapura o Te Aroha.
Three other artists, Mara TK, Hawkins and Rākai also sing on the track.
“It’s an honour to be able to create this space and present it to you,” Daphiney told Friday’s audience.
“The hope at the end of the day is that you love it.”
Rākai, the only artist able to attend on Friday, said it was a privilege to be involved in the project.
“Choosing Apakura as the first single was very intentional,” Daphiney said.
“The nature of the korero, it’s very important. Some of the lyrics are ‘show the world your heart’ – in a way it’s an encouragement to celebrate a thriving people, and a karanga, or call, to come back.”
Ngāti Apakura Runanga Trust chair Bill Harris told the audience through tears after the screening, “I don’t think I can say too
much, apart from thank you to absolutely everyone involved. I actually can’t say thank you enough.
“It’s been wonderful to work with Daphiney and Oceans Before Me to get something for us out there.”
He told The News music was an incredible medium.
“There’s been so much sadness for us, but today I’d say it’s a different kind of tears, tears of aroha, love, – and you can feel that in Apakura.”
Artwork for the album cover is broken down into 10 separate panels.
The panels will be released in conjunction with each track, so the full cover won’t be public until the album’s release date.
Regan Balzer, of Ngāti Hinetu descent, is the artist behind the album cover.
Of the first panel released to accompany Apakura, she said, “…it represents a powerful statement that the energy has started, will ripple out and is bringing the descendants of Ngāti Apakura and Ngāti Hinetu back together – revitalising the stories
and the energy of the land.”
The album’s second track will be released in October, with the full album out in February in conjunction with the 160th
commemorations at Rangiaowhia.
