Waka Huia - Hirini Melbourne & Te Puka a Maui

Television (Full Length Episode) – 1987

...my thoughts returned to my origins . . . I started thinking deeply about the topics of my compositions. I started with my own origins. I heard the stories and desired to follow the stories of Hinepūkohurangi and Te Maunga at the beginning of Ngā Pōtiki.
– Hirini Melbourne on being drawn to write songs about his Tūhoe heritage, early in this interview

This is a song about birds...about owls. The owl is a bird that scares many Māori [laughter]. They hear it sing and say 'yes, someone has died' . . . The Pākehā knows this as an intelligent bird. To some Māori as well, it is the guardian of their families.
– Hirini Melbourne introduces a song about ruru (owls)

The main thing is te reo. These songs were made for everyone. If people, especially kids, like the songs — even if it's just the tune — then they can look beyond the words to their meaning.
– Hirini Melbourne on how his kids' songs can inspire learning

There were many at the time that said I wouldn't be able to pay for life's essentials through my language, though from that time through to now my language is what gives me life.
– Composer Hirini Melbourne on following his te reo Māori path as a songwriter, early in this interview

Most of my songs are short. There are maybe four lines. Many people that write songs beyond that, they are just making words up.
– Hirini Melbourne jokes about some of his shorter te reo songs