On Friday, a new Māori song by Rob Ruha featuring Maisey Rika will be released in celebration of Māori Language Week and Māori music.
Today, the duo were filming the music video for their new song in Rotorua. Waiaroha is Rob Ruha's latest song and he says it's a song dear to his heart.
“I composed this song when I was a lot younger. It's based on the love between people, lovers, an admirer of a voice or the love between a grand-child and his or her elders,” says Ruha.
Maisey Rika, one of New Zealand's most impressive lead female vocalists, jumped at the chance to work with Rob Ruha on this project.
She says, “Rob is a great composer. I'm honoured that he would contact me to sing with him in celebrating the Māori language and Māori Language Week. It was his idea to have it this week to celebrate and to hear the beauty of our language.”
Ruha says,”We don't often see or hear Māori ideas and Māori songs anywhere else.”
The song "Waiaroha" will be released on Friday and can be purchased on iTunes.