KOKOMEA - Te Reo Māori X Tokelau colab

Hip hop and RnB Kiwi artist Rei has released his newest reo Māori track with a twist - teaming up with Pacific pop artist Olivia Foa’i.

Kokomea is the latest single from Rei’s new album Ariki that is set for release next month. 

The waiata is sung in te reo Māori and Tokelauan and mixed with different elements of Pasifika culture (Cook islands drumming etc.).

The 28-year-old Ngati Huia artist described the Māori-Tokelau collaboration as ‘the biggest island/Māori link up since Nesian Mystik’.

“I wanted to do one track on the album with another Poly artist and have them sing in their own reo for whakawhanaungatanga and honour our shared whakapapa with our Pasifika whanau,” he said.

Rei has been proactive on the te reo Māori front with his music, picking up nominations across several music awards and winning Best Urban Album at the Waiata Māori Music Awards in 2020.

He said his use of te reo in music helps his own journey of learning and reclaiming the language.

“My reo music is just a way for me to keep practising my reo… I think it’s important for me to do what I do to make sure young people stay engaged with Māori music and also make Māori language seem cool."

The music video for the new single Kokomea features a Tokelauan fātele and a Cook Island dance routine.

“I always thought all of our Polynesian languages and culture are really cool so doing songs like Kokomea, this afrobeat pop RnB style, just helps hopefully inspire our young people to see our cultures as cool and unique as they are,” said Rei.

“You know overseas they think our South Pacific cultures are beautiful and awesome and cool so we’ve gotta appreciate it as well.”

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Learn the lyrics and check out the translation here.