Elaborating on the 1864 massacre, Roa explains, “Our people were in church, holding morning service on Sunday 21st February. The (British) soldiers called out to people to come out, but they didn’t dare come out because they heard of other people coming out and being shot dead. So the soldiers set fire to the church.”

Roa continues, “Our tuupuna never surrendered their identity; they were landless. These landless people refuse not to be recognised, Ngaati Apakura”.

Creatively, the album produced by Mara TK upholds diverse musical styles, heartfelt lyrics and enchanting melodies that inspire listeners to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of this history. While predominantly in Te Reo Maaori, the collection of songs aims to connect with non-Maaori audiences to foster ally-ship while acting as a catalyst for meaningful conversations. 
 
With a blended pot of genres; R&B/Soul, Reggae/Dub, Funk/Gospel, and Ballad. The album showcases the diverse musical influences and talents from the artists involved, each contributing their unique style and vibe to create a captivating listening experience. 
 
Additionally, the album boasts an impressive lineup of musicians who contributed their skills and creativity, such as Julien Dyne, Leonardo Coghini, Ben Turua, JY Lee, Dallas Reti Taukiri, Sale Leilua, Kaea Ruawai, Dan Waterson, Stallone D'Souza, Richard Pickard, Adrien Brown, Gin Papāli'i, Debbie Papāli'i, Ruby Papāli'i, Crystal Lin, LaCoco Sasa-Tepania, Molee Lauititi and Hannah Ress.

Ngā Huruhuru (Just The Basics) - Mara TK

Hidden Names - Hawkins

Te Mamaeroa - Rākai Whauwhau

White Heron - Ria Hall

Apakura's Call (Remember Me) - Hawkins

Alienated - Rākai Whauwhau

Whare Karakia - Poihakena Reid Feat. Tom Roa

Vox Dawn serves up a soul-stirring, earthy, lyrical banquet with the release of her single – ‘It Is Well’ following her first debut album – ‘Sacred Spaces.’ Born of the whenua and breathed to life by a wairua that recognizes the power of a sound, of a sacred space in which this sound comes to life. This Music is for the audience that is WOKE. An audience that knows music has the power to make and change through story telling and the stories told call us to act for those whom justice has not been kind to. Ihumātao is a beautiful example of this. The first single – ‘It is well’ was first written as an outro for the album but along the journey it was re-thought and re-purposed during recent visits to Parihaka. ‘It Is Well’ was written to alter the status quo and to offer a fresh new sound, to introduce a game-changing artist Vox Dawn that represents the present, future and past.

This album grew from a place that was journeyed. ‘Sacred Spaces’ is derived from the words 'Wāhi Tapu' in Te Reo Māori. This album emphasizes spaces within the social content, infrastructure, government laws and systems particularly those that have impacted our culture. It speaks of significant times in our history, life, relationships and endeavors. This album emanates from the place where a soul stress meets a rhyme, a space where grace meets gritty. This album features artist such as Marina Alefosia (Spoken word artist), James Brooks aka JB the WAR Villain (Hip-hop artist and producer), Produced by Erik Lopeti aka E-NICE MUSIC, 'Settle Down' Produced by S.T.F, Recorded, Mixed and Co-produced by Lance Kingi at Taupiri Sound. With special feature from Kuia Nana Ruhi Ashby.

Let It Be

Dedicated to supporting communities with Music and Education by Elevating Indigenous Narratives.

Ngā Huruhuru (Just The Basics) - Mara TK

Oceans Before Me

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