I’m not the kind of person who would get choked up from watching a music video, but Maisey Rika’s “Reconnect” moved me. It’s a sublime combination of music, lyrics, and vision. Things from Aotearoa/New Zealand tend to hit a particular chord for me. The clip for “Reconnect” reminds me of Tiki Taane’s “Tangaroa” in how the ancestral past never disappears. Instead, it’s always present… you just need to look at things from a slightly different angle for all those from ages past to reappear.

LISTEN NOW

“Reconnect” is off Maisey Rika’s self-titled debut EP, now available on  iTunes.  She has since followed up with the gorgeous Tohu.

Tags: Aotearoa, Maisley Rika, Māori, New Zealand, Reconnect, Tohu

So our trip into the moana nui continues… We’re currently digging the track “Hiro’a” off Ma’ohi rock band Manahune’s fifth studio album Tapu. The guitar riffs and the battle cry chorus are especially tight. Unfortunately, the album is not out on iTunes yet. We’re crossing our fingers for a quick release so we can avoid international shipping.

Tags: French Polynesia, Hiro'a, ma'ohi, Manahune, Tahiti

A brief visual retreat for the end of the weekend… Beatifully shot intro for Fa’ahe’e, Surfeurs du Paradis, which debuted at FIFO (Festival international du film documentaire oceanien) in Tahiti this past January.

FA’AHE’E, SURFEURS DU PARADIS

Documentary, 2009, 52 minutes
Directors: Denis Pinson & Laurent Jacquemin
Production : Archipel Prod & Bonne Pioche & France Télévisions

A Linguistic P.S.

For you  ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i speakers,  fa’ahe’e is reo Tahiti for he‘e nalu. Curiously enough, He‘e Nalu is also the name of a surfwear label based in… Tahiti.

Tags: fa'ahe'e, FIFO, he‘e nalu, Surfeurs du Paradis, surfing, Tahiti