Videos inspire tamariki to learn te reo
Young animator brings new life to waiata
Combining the skills he’s learnt from both sides of his family, 20-year-old animator Turanga Mahutonga has created Waiata Bros, fun music videos aimed at getting everyone excited about te reo Ma¯ori.
Released to celebrate Mahuru Ma¯ori, tamariki from kura across O¯ taki are helping launch eight original waiata and animations aimed at getting everyone excited about te reo Ma¯ori.
Turanga (Taranaki, Te Arawa, Nga¯ti Whakaue) grew up in a Ma¯orispeaking wha¯nau in Rotorua.
Music and art were celebrated and encouraged at home, so it’s little wonder that Turanga combines his creative talent with his passion for te reo Ma¯ori.
“My mum is an art teacher, I learnt all my art skills from her,” he says.
“She’s the reason why I’m an artist today. And on the other side, my dad is a muso, he’s a musician so I combined the two skills I’ve got from them for this project.
Waiata Bros started when Turanga moved to O¯ taki last year for an animation intensifier course at the Ma¯oriland Tech Creative Hub (Match).
“I’m passionate about te reo Ma¯ori, it’s my language. But I’ve got family members who have Ma¯ori toto [blood] and don’t understand a single word of te reo Ma¯ori as they didn’t grow up learning it as I did.
“I wanted to find a way for the young descendants and all our young tamariki to learn — to learn it in a nice, fun way. I thought about what I enjoyed as a kid, and I liked cartoons, television shows and songs so I realised if I wanted to teach te reo I would have to use these to get it through to the tamariki.”
For his graduation project, Turanga presented an animation of waiata and te reo Ma¯ori aimed at tamariki. The tune was a hit right away with children and adults alike, and Turanga knew he was onto something.
“Everyone was happy when they heard my waiata,” he says.
“They quickly picked up the words and I would hear them singing it for days afterwards.
“Even those who were learning te reo Ma¯ori were singing along.
“It was exactly what I wanted to happen and it spurred me to write and animate more waiata.”
This was the beginning of Turanga’s vision for Waiata Bros.
He has now written and animated eight catchy waiata that offer words and phrases to help anyone feel comfortable about speaking te reo.
His songs include language about kai, jobs, numbers, emotions, pepeha and greetings. Turanga is now a fulltime animator at Match.
Along with other Match graduates they have just completed five animated pakiwaitara, or fairytales, for Te Wananga o Raukawa.
Turanga also won an award for best actor for his first acting role in a short film, Manu Masters, at last year’s Ma¯oriland Film Festival.
Waiata Bros will be released on all major music streaming platforms, including
YouTube, on September 21.
Ma¯ oriland Productions
This project has been developed through the Match Incubator.
With training, mentorship, and industry-led opportunities, Match is a pathway for rangatahi to high-value careers as the producers, developers and thought pioneers of the future.
Turanga is a graduate of the second intake of Match and has a passion for reo Ma¯ori and animation.
Waiata Bros is produced by Ma¯oriland Productions.