Pepeha

"Pepeha" is a song by New Zealand band Six60, performed bilingually in English and Māori. "Pepeha" is the band's second song to be recorded in Te Reo Māori, and was released as a single in 2021 to coincide with Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. The song was written by Six60 band members Marlon Gerbes and Matiu Walters, alongside Te Reo experts Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper (a member of the Black Quartet), Jeremy Tātere MacLeod and Sir Tīmoti Kāretu.

"Pepeha"
Single by Six60
Released27 August 2021 (2021-08-27)[1]
GenrePop
Length3:10
LabelEpic, Massive
Songwriter(s)
  • Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper
  • Marlon Gerbes
  • Tīmoti Kāretu
  • Jeremy Tātere MacLeod
  • Matiu Walters
Producer(s)
  • Marlon Gerbes
  • Matiu Walters
Six60 singles chronology
"All She Wrote"
(2021)		 "Pepeha"
(2021)		 "Before You Leave"
(2022)
Music video
"Pepeha" on YouTube

Background and composition

In 2019, the band collaborated with musician and project coordinator Hinewehi Mohi for the album Waiata / Anthems, a project for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori which reimagined popular New Zealand songs in Māori language.[2] Six60 performed "Kia Mau Ki Tō Ūkaipō", a reimagining of their version of their 2011 single "Don't Forget Your Roots".[3] The album was widely successful, certified platinum by Recorded Music NZ,[4] and in the album's first week, "Kia Mau Ki Tō Ūkaipō / Don't Forget Your Roots" reached number 10 on the New Zealand singles chart - the highest-charting song from the album.[5]

Two years later, Six60 decided to collaborate with Mohi a second time for an original song, to be released during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2021.[6] Lead singer Matiu Walters is Māori (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri and Ngāpuhi),[7] however did not grow up speaking the language.[6] The band wrote the song at Mohi's house.[8]

The word pepeha references a form of self-introduction, where the speaker describes their ancestry and connections to the natural environment (such as which waka your ancestors arrived on, and what mountains, rivers and marae are important to you and your family roots).[6] Walters wanted to create a pepeha that would apply to all New Zealanders.[9] Musician Reti Hedley performs taonga pūoro, or Māori traditional instruments on the song.[10]

Live performances

The band first performed the song live as a part of a TikTok livestream on 19 September 2021, as the band was in Los Angeles at the time of the song's release.[6]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.[10]

  • Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper – songwriting
  • Ji Fraser – guitar
  • Vivek Gabriel – mastering
  • Marlon Gerbes – producer, songwriting
  • Reti Hedley – taonga pūoro
  • Tīmoti Kāretu – songwriting
  • Chris Mac – bass
  • Jeremy Tātere MacLeod – songwriting
  • Nic Manders – engineering, mixing
  • Hinewehi Mohi – background vocals
  • Eli Paewai – drums
  • Matiu Walters – producer, songwriting, vocals, guitar

Charts

Certifications
Certifications and sales for "Pepeha"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[16] 2× Platinum 60,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

See also

References
  1. "Pepeha - Single". iTunes. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  2. "Waiata Anthems Debuts at 1". Creative NZ. 2 October 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  3. "Waiata / Anthems Collection Announced". Under the Radar. 5 August 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  4. "21 June 2021". Official NZ Music Charts. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  5. "16 September 2019". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  6. Barton, Monika (16 September 2021). "Six60's Matiu Walters wants new te reo Māori song 'Pepeha' to 'unite cultures' in Aotearoa". Newshub. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  7. Tyson, Jessica (27 November 2020). "Six60 on journey from shame to immersion in Māori culture". Te Ao Māori. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  8. "Six60 to release first bilingual waiata". TVNZ. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  9. "SIX60's beautiful new waiata 'Pepeha' is out NOW and it'll give you goosebumps". ZM Online. 27 August 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  10. "Credits / Pepeha / SIX60". Tidal. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  11. "Six60 – Pepeha". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  12. "6 September 2021". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  13. "8 November 2021". Official NZ Music Charts. Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
  14. "Official Top 20 NZ Singles: End of Year Charts 2021". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  15. "Te Reo Māori O Te Rārangi 10 O Runga: End of Year Charts 2021". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  16. "New Zealand single certifications". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
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