Kōtare by Aro
Kia mataara, kia māia - Be vigilant, be brave
This song is inspired by another one of our native (to Aotearoa) manu (birds), kōtare, also known as the kingfisher.
This song was written and recorded by Aro, a home made & recorded song, mixed and mastered by Vivek Gabriel.
With special thanks to Creative NZ who backed us for this project, 'He Manu Anō' - 27/08/2020, which this waiata features on; a 5 track EP following on from our 2020 debut album, Manu.
Tracklist
| 1. | Kōtare | 3:30 |
Lyrics
KŌTARE
Ētahi wā e taumaha ana ngā ngaru i te moana
E patu ana ngā waka e te au tuke, e te au miha
He uaua ki te kite nā te pūrehurehu o te rehutai
Te pae tata kua huna nā te pupuke o ngā wai
Whaia te iti kahurangi
Ki te tuohu, me maunga teitei
Kia mataara, kia māia
Toka tū moana
Kia mataara kia māia
Tutuki me te aroha.
He ngaru whakateo he kōtare, ko tēnā te kī
He pūhara i ngā taiapa o te pā hoki
Ko tēnei ka waiho iho mo te iwi
He waka eke noa, āwhina atu tētahi ki tētahi
Toka tū moana
Wanawana tutuki me te aroha
Me te aroha!
Kia Mataara kia māia
Kia mataara, kia māia!
THE KINGFISHER - A KŌTARE TRANSLATION
Sometimes the waves are heavy out at sea
Battering our waka under its weight
It gets hard out there to see through the haze
The horizon hidden by the swelling waves
Pursue that which is precious
If bowed down let it be to a lofty mountain
Be vigilant, be brave
Like a rock against the sea
Be vigilant, be brave
Overcome fear with love
A curly wave is a kōtare’s work, that’s what they say
And watchtowers were named after me too
This is what I want to leave with you all
Together we can succeed, so look out for each other
Stand like a rock against the sea
Overcoming fear with love
With love!
Be vigilant, be brave
Be vigilant, be brave!
Credits
License
All rights reserved.
Aro is a Te Tiriti-based music duo made up of Charles (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Te Ata, Ngāti Mutunga) and Emily Looker. Known for the uniquely rich way their voices weave and sit together in harmony, Aro blend reo Māori with RnB, soul, and folk to craft music that honours the beauty and depth of te ao Māori, while celebrating their shared love of storytelling, language, and whānau.