A South Auckland artist is sharing the sound of summer with the world while using his music to reconnect with his cultural roots.
Shane Walker (Tainui, Ngāti Mahanga, Ngāti Whātua) has been making music for over 20 years and recently gained widespread recognition with the success of his summer hit ‘Coasty Girl’.
The RnB soul track is currently topping the Official Top 20 Aotearoa Singles, with over a million streams across various platforms The inspiration, Walker says, is the unique talents of East Coast wāhine.
“They’re beautiful people - they’re straight up, they’re straightforward. They all fish, hunt and dive and I find that real special. It’s different to me I’m like man, I gotta find me a wife down there now.”
“You know how long I’ve been listening to this blue-eyed Māori for and I thought, [what] about the brown-eyed Māori?”
Walker’s musical journey began with his father and uncle. Rooted in Cook Island music, he later transitioned into the mainstream music scene.
“Music for me it is a remedy, but it also is like my life’s work and like a diary. [It] it will create memories and leave a legacy for my kids [and] grandkids.”
Walker recently released his track Māori In Me, taking listeners on a journey of reconnection.
“People actually think I’m a [only] Cook Islander, but I’m also a proud Māori too,” he adds.
“Because we had the [Toitū] Te Tiriti hīkoi. I saw Hana and Rawiri in there so straight away [I was] inspired by them.”
Walker says this waiata has struck a chord with some listeners, particularly those who didn’t grow up immersed in te ao Māori.
“I’ve had a few people reach out to me [and say] that when [they] hear the chorus, it makes them feel like they are special and they of something and it is their culture.”
Walker received the People’s Choice Award for Best Pacific Artist at this year’s Pacific Music Awards.
“Now that I’ve reached my dream, [I] wanna win an AMA award for my Māori family and I wanna take it back to [Whaingaroa as] an acknowledgement of where I come from and for my grandmother,” he says.
“If we can inspire one person, that’ll make me happy.”
