“It’s really cool” was Maori musician, Rob Ruha’s reaction to recently topping the Pacific charts with his song Taera.
“I’m a little bit overwhelmed being number one on the Pacific charts,” says Ruha. “Taera is the celebration about diversity. It’s a song for people to be comfortable enough to just be them; rock your own style, no matter what.
“Just you be you, and the world will embrace you. That was the inspiration behind writing that song. That song was written in 30 minutes—it fell out of the heavens—musically and lyrically, it all just came together in 30 minutes. It’s a special song. You know, sometimes, you have songs that are written so quickly and without a lot of intellectual thought, those are the ones that are really good.”
Ruha debuted as a solo musician in 2014.
“I’m from the East Coast of the North Island, born and raised in my iwi territories of Ngāti Porou and Te Whānau-ā-Apanui,” he says. “Where I come from plays a huge part in my artistry, what I write about and what I sing about. I predominantly sing about identity, growing up on the coast and what’s important to us here – spiritual concepts, concepts of Kotahitanga, unity and what those things mean to us.”
Ruha says the Maori music scene is growing. “There’s Maori doing well in different spheres; [film director] Taika Waititi is doing amazing in the work that he does – people around the world are going, ‘Aah, as he’s from Aotearoa; who else is from Aotearoa?’ Globally, people are intrigued and interested, and I think that’s contributing to Maori music growth as well.
“Also, there are movements such as Kura Kaupapa Maori, which are Maori language immersion schools where the philosophy and practice reflect Maori cultural values with the aim of revitalising Maori language, knowledge and culture. They have now grown generations of Te Reo Maori first speakers.
“I speak Maori as a first language and English as a second language, and I am part of the new generation that will continue to do so.”
Ruha says he wrote his first song in Te Reo Maori at the age of 12. “I come from a family of writers and artists, of weavers and painters and, there is a creative outlet…[writing] in my language is only going to be natural.”
The use of traditional lyrical and composition techniques, and instruments such as flutes, are also integral to his art.
“I’ve released a song with a group called the Halluci Nations called Takarita. Almost the entire track is built with traditional Maori music implements. You wouldn’t be able to tell how it’s produced. I like to take traditional things and really stretch them and push them and then sometimes keep them in the traditional form.”
Origins
Before being a solo music artist, Ruha was well-known as a kapa haka performer.
“I have built my career serving a kapa haka community and that has shifted and morphed into including mainstream audiences now, as well as global audiences. I’m so happy that Pacific audiences are loving what I’m doing as well,” he says.
Digital platforms are also assisting, with Ruha revealing, “My music has taken off and experienced massive growth because of TikTok.
“There is also the traditional power support that comes from radio play through the Pacific – like Tiare FM from Tahiti and various other platforms as well,” he says. In his homeland, Iwi (Maori) radio stations have been instrumental in getting his music out to listeners.
Ruha’s other projects have included translating the songs of Disney hits, Moana, The Lion King and Frozen, into Te Reo Maori, with a translation of Coco about to begin.
“It was a beautiful journey – again kicked off by Taika Waititi,” says Ruha.
“It was an amazing experience, and I got to meet Opetaia Foa’i who wrote the song [Moana’s ‘We know the way’]. I got to meet all the Disney executives and sit with them in LA and just see from their perspective how well the Maori language and Maori culture sits into the world of Disney.”
Ruha’s music has also been a form of activism; he contributed a song in support of locals opposing the development on the Ihumatao site—a sacred place in Auckland.
“Within 24 hours I rang as many people as I could, we got into the studio just like that, I wrote that song to help instill belief and champion what they were fighting for,” says Ruha. “When we released Ka Manu,” says Ruha. “We released in the honour of the people who were fighting for their land rights and in support of them. It was also in support of our family in Hawaii who were at that time also fighting for their rights.”
Ruha describes his music as built on a foundation of soul, R&B and roots reggae, with an infusion of pop sensibility.
“I had a beautiful time learning from pop writers from Sweden,” says Ruha. “I then layer it with traditional Maori music – positioning, lyrics, rhythms and phrasing techniques. So, it’s very, very broad.”
Preservation of society
Ruha’s latest and third album is Preservation of Society.
“I really love this album,” he enthuses. “It’s got all the music I’ve always wanted to release. It’s heavy R&B, soul and it’s recently picked up best R&B, soul album of the year [last year] at the Aotearoa Music awards, which I’m really, really stoked about. The themes in that album are what I always sing about, about my history, my culture, my language and my spirituality. I’ve done it with lots of different collaborations with other writers … and producer Rory Noble and, it’s the style of music that I’ve always wanted to release.”
He hopes to perform for a long time to come.
“I don’t put my hands to anything that I don’t think will be successful,” says Ruha. “Every project I put my hands to is something that is burning in my heart and soul. So, everything is really successful.
“Recently, I was part of the 50th year [celebration] of the Te Matatini, the Kapa Haka festival that happened here; my family and my kapa haka team won the competition.
“I was part of a commemorative album which had 50 songs – [a] beautiful project – I was proud of that.
“Last year, I also pulled together a show with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra, which was a beautiful show and, I’m proud of that as well.
“And my albums, I’m proud of, as well as my work with Disney.”
Ruha says music is the most rewarding thing he has ever done. “I do it with my entire family. I do what I do with people that I love and respect. I’m really grateful for that. I have made a living out of music and a very comfortable life out of music in the last ten years and, [I] hope to do it for at least another 10 years.”
