Tauranga Moana musician Ria Hall will perform at her first major event, since the birth of her son Te Rongotoa.
Hall from Ngai Te Rangi and Ngāti Ranginui says, "Ko taku ao inaianei ko te ao māmā."
“My entire world now revolves around being a mum.”
Motherhood and Mana Motuhake inspired her writing:
“I te wā i titoa e māua ko Laughton Kora i taku waiata a Flow, i tino hapū au i taua wā tonu. I tērā wā ka rangona e au i a ia e nekeneke ana i roto i te koopu.”
“At the time Laughton Kora and I composed my song, Flow. I was really pregnant and I felt my son moving in my stomach.”
Hall and her band will make the sovereignty and independence of Māori her number one kaupapa at One Love.
“I runga anō hoki i te wairua pai me te mōhio. Kei kōnei ahau kia tū rangatira mātou ko taku tira i mua i taku iwi.”
"Here I am, myself and my band standing proud before my own people."
That’s the core message of her new song ‘Owner’. Hall explains how the fight for first peoples rights inspired the lyrics.
“E tukituki ana te ao Pākeha me te iwi taketake puta noa i te ao. Koina te tino ngako, te ia o taku waiata.”
“Indigenous people all over the world are battling the Western world; that's the essence of my new song.”
Independence for the worlds’ first peoples remains, a major issue on Halls’ mind.
"Ko te tū mana motuhake a ngai tātou ngā iwi taketake puta noa i te ao."
"All indigenous people throughout the world should stand independently."
Ria Hall's new album Manawa Wera will be released on Febuary 28.