Waikato-Tainui descendant and singer Dallas Reti-Taukiri, also known as Dally, has released a new song titled ‘Piri Mai,’ which celebrates the continuous development of te reo Māori and the various strategies being employed for its revitalization.
The track, which is intended to be a valuable resource and an encouragement for Māori to learn the language, received financial backing from Waikato-Tainui.
Reti-Taukiri, who is a descendant of both Waikato and Pare Hauraki, emphasizes that his creative endeavors are motivated by cultural value over financial gain. He stated, “I want to make sure that this is something worth doing. He rawa kei roto i te ao i tua atu i te puutea, especially when it comes to music. Ehara teenei i te mea iti, ehara teenei i te taonga noa,” asserting that the work holds immense cultural significance beyond money.
The song delivers a strong and compelling call to action, with lyrics that deliberately reference ancestral wisdom. Reti-Taukiri explained the depth of the message, noting that the song features a play on Kiingi Taawhiao’s words of wisdom. “It’s a pretty bold message. In the song it says ‘nau mai te tini, nau mai te mano kia ea ai ngaa mahi i te whero me te pango,’” he said.
The singer stressed the necessity of collaboration across communities for true language revitalization to take hold, suggesting the song serves as a reminder to a broader audience. Reti-Taukiri believes that the task cannot fall to Māori alone. “It’s to let people understand that it’s going to take more than just Maaori to fix this and they’re not going to understand if they don’t learn our language,” he warned.
Looking ahead, Reti-Taukiri holds immense optimism for the trajectory of the Māori music industry. Ultimately, his greatest hope is for the next generation. He shared his vision, stating, “I’d just like to hope that in the future my tamariki, all tamariki can benefit from music, let alone te ao Maaori here in Aotearoa.”