Dame Hinewehi Mohi — famed for singing God Defend New Zealand in te reo Māori at the 1999 Rugby World Cup — is being inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame for her ongoing contributions to the revitalisation of the language.
The trailblazing performance at Twickenham 25 years ago inspired debate around the use of te reo in New Zealand and normalised the singing of our anthem in both Māori and English.
But Dame Hinewehi’s impact did not stop there, extending to advocacy for the growth of Māori music.
Daily te reo lessons alongside her father, who chose to reconnect with his cultural identity at age 30, initially drove Hinewehi to become an advocate and “intentional activist” for the everyday use of Māori in New Zealand.
She initiated the well-known Waiata Anthems project which supported well-known Kiwi artists including Lorde, Six60 and Benee to record their hit songs in Māori.
"I’d had this idea to translate much loved songs into Māori, with the artists singing them," said Dame Hinewehi.
"It was an honour to work alongside Sir Tīmoti Kāretu who translated the songs before I reworked the Māori lyrics to the existing melodies.
"It also started the most incredible journey, working with the artists – most of them who’d never sung in Māori before."
She said she "completely underestimated" the impact being reconnected to their language, culture and whakapapa would have on the artists themselves.
"For many, it was lifechanging and I feel so privileged to have been a part of it."
2024 also marked the 25th anniversary of her platinum-selling debut studio album Oceania.
There was a therapeutic aspect to the album, she said, as her daughter Hineraukatauri was born with cerebral palsy in 1996.
Producer Jaz Coleman stoked Mohi’s desire to "write or perform songs that had a real purpose", as well as turning her onto music therapy.
"He shaped a lot of my thinking around creating my music and using that as a vehicle for expressing emotion."
Part of her ongoing legacy was the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust, named for her daughter.
“It was such an epiphany for Hineraukatauri as a little girl of two or three. The instant connection with the music therapist was just so amazing,” she told 1News in March.
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its founding, the trust was attempting to reclaim the record for world’s largest haka at Eden Park later this year.
Dame Hinewehi Mohi would be celebrated at the Aotearoa Music Awards on May 30 at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland.
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