Matariki has come and gone for another year, but the melody still shimmers. I’m referring in particular to a song released for the 2025 Māori new year: Matariki Hunga Nui – Calling Me Home, by Rob Ruha, Troy Kingi and Kaylee Bell.
Bilingual and line-dance friendly, the music video for the track featured many joining in the fun, including former politician Kiri Allan and artist-activist Tame Iti. The song brought a musical heritage back into contemporary consciousness: Māori country.
It might not seem the most typical Māori musical genre, with rap, reggae, R'n'B and pop more usually associated with Māori creativity. But there has been a long history of Māori engagement with country music – dating back to the beginnings of popular music in Aotearoa.
