Review: Anna Coddington’s album Te Whakamiha

Words by Ce Goacher (she/they)  

Across eight incredible waiata hōu contemporary Māori songs described by Anna as “Māori funk”, she moves effortlessly between te reo Māori and English to bring us one of the most engaging albums of the year.  

Anna Coddington’s (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa, Ngāti Whakaue) album Te Whakamiha, is a translation of her long standing band The Appreciations. 

The combination of disco and jangly kitā guitar make for a playful foundation, presenting te reo Māori in a fresh indie context, tino pai!  

All of the rangi melodies are earworms, the opening tune in particular Kātuarehe (to be outstanding) has me singing along. This is really helped by the tight ūngeri rhythm section, and funkin’ basslines. The backing vocals and beautiful ōrua (harmonies) really make you feel a part of these celebrations.  

My standout is the closer, Mōhou Rā (for you). Anna tells my, “In its own way this is a song about mokopuna decisions”. That riff is perfection, and the upbeat terenga (tempo) just drives this album home as an enjoyable highlight of the year for me.  

Anna has previously spoke on her journey of reclamation with singing in te reo as “a complex thing - enriching & exhilarating as it is arduous and painful,” she tells Under The Radar. In the promotion for this album she talked to the importance of hearing te reo Māori in music. She told the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts Magazine, “Even before I started speaking te reo or writing waiata in te reo Māori there was Māori music all through my life, keeping our reo available and present and valued and maintained.  

“Me mihi ka tika ki a rātou. And for me and others, music has played a massive role in cultural reconnection and language reclamation.”