VALANCE SMITH
Mai anō te taenga mai o tauiwi mā, kua whakaurua te ao pūoro hou ki tō te ao pūoro Māori e te Māori i runga i te mōhio, ko te ao pūoro he huarahi kia whakaputa whakaaro, a, ko taua ao anō e whakawhanaketia ana i runga i ngā awenga o te wā. Kua whanake mai te ao pūoro Māori i runga i te whakaaro ka nohotahi te iwi Māori me te iwi Pākehā hei whakaaweawe, hei whakanikoniko rāua i a rāua pūoro anō.
Me he ‘wai’ te waiata, ka taea ngā wai o te ao kohatu me te ao hurihuri te tūtakitaki, te reretahi kia waipuketia, katahi ka puta he reo waiata hou mō tēnei wā tonu. Heoi, ko te urupounamu e rere nei, he uaratanga tō te reo Māori kai roto i ngā titonga reo waiata hou, arā ‘contemporary Māori music? He aha te uaratanga o te reo Māori ki ngā kaitito reo waiata hou o ēnei rā? Ko tā te rangahau matua o tēnei kauhau, kia whakatewhatewhangia te uru pounamu ‘he rauemi tō te reo waiata hou kia whakahaumanutia te reo Māori?’