Bathe in the River/Kōrukutia

I think it’s really important we start normalising te reo Māori in all forms. One of the good things about creating more Māori music which is more easily accessible is that it can be a great learning tool. You can start singing along with a familiar song and you get used to the pronunciation too.

– Singer Hollie Smith on the benefits of enjoying music in te reo Māori, Stuff, 22 April 2021

Well, the recording in English I just walked into a vocal session, sung it about three times and walked out again. Don [McGlashan] and I had no idea it would become what it did. This time round it had a very different feeling, because of how much this song has become an important part of people’s lives, so Don and I really wanted to put a lot of care into making it a really special version of the song.

– Hollie Smith on rerecording 'Bathe in the River' in te reo Māori, Stuff, 22 April 2021

I'm scared to speak Māori in a way ... I'm doing this project because I want to be braver.

– Songwriter Hollie Smith, early in episode one of Waiata Anthems

Translation is incredibly challenging just in prose: to try and get the texture and the colour of what's being said. You have to try and drag all those things from one language to another. And then you add another layer to it where the translation's got to be sung, so it's got to actually fit a rhythm .. this is like putting this song of mine through hoops that most songs never have to jump through.

– Composer Don McGlashan on the challenges of reimagining 'Bathe in the River' in Māori, in episode one of Waiata/Anthems

Pākehā in New Zealand have got a unique opportunity: we can learn the language spoken by the first people who described. You've got to do it with humility.

– Composer Don McGlashan on his hope that more Pākehā take up the challenge of learning te reo Māori, in episode one of Waiata/Anthems

It's such an honour for a to have a song translated into te reo Māori. It's such a privilege.

– 'Bathe in the River' composer Don McGlashan