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Aro Announce Nationwide 'He Wai' EP Release Tour

Bilingual duo Aro, are taking their music on the road this spring to celebrate and share the stories of our waters, in support of their latest project, & EP release ‘He Wai’.

The tour intentionally coincides with Māhuru Māori and Te Wiki o te Reo Māori which celebrates the Māori language. Aro are performing across the whenua, throughout September & October, visiting coastal communities, big & small, and other intimate venues near bodies of water as part of their tour.

During the spring tour, Aro will also continue on with their established education programme within schools around the country, proudly supported by the NZ Music Commission.

‘He Wai’ is the third major project out of five for these Silver Scroll APRA Maioha Award and APRA Best Children’s Award Finalists. With each project featuring a new music release and utilising the waiata as an education resource & programme within schools. Husband and wife duo, Charles (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Te Ata, Ngāti Mutunga) and Emily Looker, proudly share a passion for the power of language and music to tell stories and remind us of our cultural identity.

The moving new EP, ‘He Wai’ celebrates 5 waiata inspired and guided by our relationship to te taiao and what we can learn from it about ourselves and each other. ‘He Wai’, is the bands 3rd project, following Manu (2019) and He Manu Anō (2020).

The bands latest EP release features Aro’s signature playful and uplifting sound, using a plethora of instruments and taonga pūoro, including guitars, strings and saxophone. A multi- genre offering of storytelling pop, RnB, electronic and jazz, fusing vocals, tāonga puoro and chants, each song also explores the ideas of kaitiakitanga and manaakitanga - looking after ourselves, looking after each other and looking after our environment.

Aro He Wai EP Release Tour

Saturday 4th September - Bellamys Gallery, Dunedin*
Saturday 11th September - House With No Nails, Matamata*
Friday 17th September - 4th Wall Theatre, New Plymouth*
Thursday 23rd September - Le Cafe, Picton*
Friday 24th September - Nelson, The Boathouse*
Saturday 9th October - D’vine Oasis, Russell 
Labour Weekend - Wellington Folk Festival, Wellington

Tickets available HERE via UTR* and www.aromusic.co.nz/shows

Aro, He Wai, Te Reo, Te wiki o te reo maori, Emily Rice, NZ Music, Songbroker Music Publishing
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