In 2005 Wellington band The Black Seeds released double platinum album On the Sun, featuring what would turn out to be their most requested song, laid-back reggae ballad 'So True'. The band revisited their biggest hit 18 years later, translating the romantic lyrics into te reo Māori for music project Waiata Anthems. The accompanying video is a case of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' — the noughties clip of a sun-kissed summer roadie (featuring Bret McKenzie) to the Coromandel remains, with additional shots of a soulful Barnaby Weir delivering the refreshed, te reo Māori version in the studio.
Everyone knows this song in Aotearoa, whether you're Māori, Kiwi, Pākehā — whatever you are — and to be able to translate that into Maori, it's beautiful.– Te reo Māori tutor Tawaroa Kawana on helping The Black Seeds record 'Koia Ko Koe', in episode one of Waiata Anthems' 2023 season
Made with funding from Te Māngai Pāho
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