Marlon Williams Te Whare Tiwekaweka Vinyl LP White Colour 2025

Tracklist:

1.E Mawehe Ana Au
2.Kei Te M?rama
3.Aua Atu R?
4.Me Uaua K?
5.Korero M?ori
6.KoT?n? Ua
7.Whakamaettia Mai
8.Ng? Ara Aroha
9.Huri te Whenua
10.Kuru Pounamu
11.K?hore He Manu E
12.P?naki
13. Rere Mai Ng? Rau
14. P?kaia R?te Marama

“Ko te reo M?ori, he matapihi ki te ao M?ori” goes the M?ori whakatauki(proverb) that has guided Aotearoa singer/songwriter Marlon Williams’(K?iTahu, Ng?i Tai) fourth solo album, Te Whare T?wekaweka. Translated, it means “The M?ori language is a window to the M?ori world” and expressesMarlon’s motivation behind his first te reo M?ori album. “Through the process of constructing these songs,” Marlon says, “I’ve found a means of expressing my joys, sorrows and humour in a way that feels both distinctly newyet also connects me to my t?puna [ancestors] and my whenua [land, home].

”Connection lies at the heart of Te Whare T?wekaweka, the album’s five-year process reconnecting Marlon to family, friends and his home town of Lyttelton after a globe-trotting decade establishing his career. The album signifies another step in Marlon’s journey with his ancestral tongue, his ability in the language developing as the songs accumulated in the hours spent with close friend and co-writer, rapper KOMMI.

The language unlocked both a newfound lyrical honesty and a grand sonic vision. Supported by long-time touring band The Yarra Benders, co-producer Mark Perkins (Te Wh?nau-?-Apanui), the He Waka K?tuia singers and featuring a collaboration with pop star Lorde, the album traverses Marlon’s familiar folk-country-bluegrass territory, while continuing his exploration of poppier waters and the inherent rhythms of M?ori music. The result is a collection at once contemporary and timeless.