Award-winning electro-Māori artist HUIA is set to empower with the release of her new 12-track album, KAWAKAWA, on October 10th, 2025. This thoughtful project, a fusion of rich imagery in te reo Māori (Māori language) with a global soundscape, promises a new flavour of te reo Māori music.
KAWAKAWA delves deep into themes encapsulated by the Kawakawa plant, an important Māori rongoā (medicine) with healing and restorative properties like the music we make, which is woven into the album's core kaupapa (theme). Every waiata/song on the album has a visual world wrapped around with translations, which can be experienced on the KAWAKAWA portal - HERE.
Waka Huia, Vessel: Every being is a vessel of knowledge, matauranga.
Tīaho Aho, Shine: Haere ki mua, stepping into your moment.
Kawakawa, Medicine: Music is healing like the power of our natural heritage, Aotūroa.
Wairangi, The Waters: Knowing the right time to find your feet again, mihi ki te rā.
Kākano, Seed: The seed is as important as the bloom. Keep planting, kia puāwai tonu.
Ao Pō, Daynight: Keep your body and mind strong like your Maunga, ia rā ia rā.
Rangimārie, Peace: Meditative Zen song, to be in a state of peace, Rangimārie.
HūHā, World: Standing up for what’s right, not what’s easy, he kupu noa iho!
Tuhi, Temple: Being a temple without a key, the integrity in keeping kōrero (words) sacred.
Maia, Nan Māmā: A tribute to wahine lines, for Nan Māia for Māmā Helen, Māma Barbara.
Waiata Ua, Rainsong: Singing with the forest rain, a deep memory, he whare ngāhere.
Wero Wero, Challenge: A reminder of what we fight for in Aotearoa, in our own unique ways.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Chris Chetland and Huia at Auckland's renowned Kog Studio, KAWAKAWA is the fruition of personal and extensive creative work by Huia, who is inspired by her travels to indigenous music communities in Canada, Scotland, Cymru (Wales), Australia and Japan. Experiencing the new music fusions has encouraged her to write an album that she loves over the past 2 years, with some songs written 10 years ago, like Tuhi,Temple.
Huia produced 6 of the 12 waiata, with symphony layers by Stewart Allen, with Baitercell, Rei, Devin Abrams and Sean Richards producing the rest of the tracks. All the stories were gently guided and translated by singer/language expert Lois McIver. Beyond this album, Huia is also recording for the release of a multilingual E.P. featuring collaborations with Meta_ (Portugal), Akawui (Mapuche), and remixes by Max Maxwell alongside other multilingual collaborations, set for summer 2026.
A Kōanga release party on October 10th at WHAMMY Bar is hosted by Kog and Hūhā Music, celebrating the album's debut, new single Hoea Rā by Baitercell x Just2Māori and features Mokotron, Uncles, Swizl Jager, Rei and Andrew Manning.
Huia has graced international stages in 2025 at Festival of Lights (Taranaki, Aotearoa), Knockengorroch Festival (Scotland, UK), Indigenous Music Summit, Imaginative Film Festival, Drom Taberna (Canada) and Osaka World Expo (Japan). KAWAKAWA is supported by Te Māngai Pāho and Precise as HIKO music.