Huia
Huia Hamon
Huia - Māori Artist - Aotearoa NZ
Huia - Māori Artist - Aotearoa NZ

Songs

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  • country:New Zealand
  • region:Auckland
  • style(s):Electronic, Polynesia
  • label:Integrity Aotearoa
  • type:Solo
  • gender:female
  • instrumentation:singer songwriter
  • artist posted by:Hamon, Huia

Line up

  • Huia (Producer/guitar/electronic)

Links

HUIA

With electronic beats, organic percussion, live guitars and deep harmonies, Huia’s set is a richly layered big bass sound with conscious lyrics in both te reo Māori (Māori languages) and touches of english.

Producing both solo and collaboratively, her music flows from ambient liquid DnB with Baitercell, through to reggaeton bangers and she has a vibrant and friendly stage presence. She also loves to do small intimate whānau gatherings sharing her tamariki songs.

Her latest waiata is ‘Tui Tuia ō Whakapapa’ and ‘Punakaiki’ with Sean Richards, which sees Huia in her electronic style element again, gearing up for summer festivals. ‘Tukua te Kūata’ and ‘Marama La Luna’, bring some other genres into her live sets as she likes to perform fluidly and energetically! Music performance highlights include supporting iconic world music artists ‘Deep Forest’ and ‘Gaudi’ as well as sharing the stage with Lupe Fiasco and Kelis. As a DnB vocalist ‘Punakaiki’ is her latest tune with Sean Richards and there is a new tune ‘Tui Tuia ō Whakapapa’ on the way as part of the Waiata Anthems collective for 2022.

Her mana-enhancing songs are played on Aotearoa’s (NZ’s) top dance stations such as George Fm and RDU. Though in te reo Māori, the songs chart on the NZ Hot Charts continues to make waves for indigenous artists. Her last E.P. ‘Āio’ hit #1 on Ethnocloud charts and #16 on NZ Hot Singles Charts in the first week and was the only te Reo Māori single in the top 20. The Āio EP has also been playlisted all around the world, from France, Canada, in the Highlands of Scotland, to Melbourne and closer to home on Waiheke Island. ‘Marama La Luna’ has been on the Te Reo Māori charts for a year and is still up in the top 20!

Āio was Huia’s 3rd solo release since her debut album ‘Huia’s Waiata’, then Āta, and as the award-winning ʻTātou Tātou Eʻ Collective releases (V1-V5). She also featured on the TOKA E.P. for Baitercell, of which ‘Hine Ruru’ played heavily on the Bnet radio and world stations and was also in the top 20 singles charts, again the only te reo Māori single that week.

She also featured on ʻLullabies Of The Worldʻ which hit #11 on the German charts. Huia was invited to perform the classic Aotearoa lullaby ʻHine E Hineʻ (over 125,000 streams now) by the late and much-missed artist-producer Ramesh Weeratunga.

You may have heard Huia’s warm tones at mainstage Splore, Lovelake festival, AUM, Newtown Festival, Coromandel Sonic Summer festival, R’n’V, Soundsplash, Grey Lynn festival, The Rogue Stage, Waiheke Jazz festival, The Red Lounge Sessions, Sundaise and The Big Day Out (RIP) and private events at the Auckland Museum to name a few, as well as onstage supporting Rei.

She is also ‘Dj Wharatā’ for Rei touring nationwide in 2022. Huis is also a backing vocalist for many top acts including Rei, Kevin Mark Trail, Pieter T, Chong-Nee, Baitercell, JGeeks, Ariana Tikao and Kids of 88. Huia has been releasing te reo Māori music for over 15 years and is been actively involved in the productions of many te reo Māori projects such as multi-award-winning Tātou Tātou E 1 and 2.

Awards: Huia is a finalist for the Waiata Māori Music Awards in 2022, Best Māori Wāhine Solo Artist and winner of Best Urban Album 2 Producer years running. She is also an active member of many Music boards in Aotearoa, mostly in advocating and musician rights.


MUSIC LINKS -

Huia | Spotify
http://soundcloud.com/huia
https://www.youtube.com/c/HuiaHamon
Huia (@iamhuia) • Instagram photos and videos

Music Reviews:

Huia Hamon has been making music for a decade. Likely familiar to festival-goers, she is a bilingual performer – her first recording foray putting Te Reo Māori over drum & bass which didn’t really get due recognition at that time.

The beautiful five-track EP (with a bonus single mix) is entirely conscious Te Reo over fat and lush electronic beats and beds, organic percussion and smooth harmonies. The lyrics are themed around peace, knowledge, self-reflection, and of course, how we treat the earth. The title Āio track means ‘to be at peace’, especially in relation to how we connect with our physical world.

Tu Tuia – Weave (going out into the world, but returning to your culture and maunga should you lose your way). Tuauri – Indigo (a safe space of love). Tohunga – the revered. And Ngakau Ruwha – a waiata about mental health and looking after yourself, and consulting your own “life book”. Having the singing in te reo is absolutely no barrier to non-Māori-listeners getting into the down-to-earth vibe of this gorgeous, gentle, fresh-sounding release. Warm, smooth, modern musically and lyrically. A true gift to the world.

LINK - https://nzmusician.co.nz/music/huia-aio-ep/

“Aio - to be at Peace.
Aio is what we strive for in our own minds,
Aio is what nature is calling for and
Aio is what the world needs

Alright first, I'll admit my Te Reo is pretty rough for someone who calls themselves a born and bred Kiwi. I personally hate this, and really wish that we were taught te reo as a compulsory subject in school in order to preserve our country's native language.

However, this isn't a piece about me, and where I think our country could do better, instead this is a piece written for Huia, an Auckland artist, whose EP Āio has just dropped. A quick glance over Huia's artist page on Facebook makes me smile, as she lists her genre as 'World Fusion/Soul/Reggae/Acoustic/Conscious' - her band interests include 'Happiness' - and her influences are 'You... the world and beyond.'
Aio itself is an absolute breath of fresh air in today's music scene - a scene that (although I love) is often inundated with songs about getting lit, and having your heart broken - instead, Huia leans more towards a perfect little blend of taking care of your inner self, and also of the natural world that we are surrounded by.

Described as 'electro-haka' - her sound is reminiscent of traditional Māori songs, but also borrows influences from several other genres. It conjures up such a beautiful peaceful feeling, that reminds me of the peace I feel wandering throughout our native land. So, I downloaded the EP to my phone, and went for a wander through the trees with my earbuds in - and whoa, that certainly taught me Āio.

Huia's beautiful little interpretation of the world around her is deeply moving, inspirational, and a reminder to look after the earth we are given - all strong values of the Māori, and all strong values that we should remember in our day-to-day lives. I encourage you all to give it a listen.

Huia - EP Review: Aio - New Zealand Music Articles