Aro release harmonious single 'Tōtara'

Multi Award Nominees, bilingual duo, Aro, perfectly meld voices and delicate harmonies, for ‘Tōtara’, their latest single.

‘Tōtara’, is the 2nd single off their forthcoming album, ‘He Rākau, He Ngārara’, now officially announced for release on April 19th 2024!

“Kua hinga he tōtara i te wao nui a Tāne”,
“A great tree has fallen in the great forest of Tāne”.

‘Tōtara’, originally taking its inspiration from the above whakatauki, has become a song of aroha, grief and remembrance - a song of aroha for those significant and special people, who are no longer with us.

Aro consists of Tāmaki Makaurau based husband and wife, Charles (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Te Ata, Ngāti Mutunga) and Emily Looker. The pair's music expertly blends Emily's honey-voiced jazz with Charles' full throated percussive sound, with shades of haka. Well known for their multi-genre offering of music & storytelling, with their performances combining a warmth of experience, wholly original music, anchored in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Creation of the duo’s fourth album, He Rākau, He Ngārara, involved researching mātauranga Māori in legends and whakatauki, from the writer's iwi and hapū, about Aotearoa’s native trees (rākau) and native insects and reptiles (ngārara). The extensive research into each of the waiata that make up the album, led Aro to spend time with Zane Wedding (Ngāti Kurī, Ngāti Pikiao) - a tree expert and an activist who’s whakapapa deeply connects him to our native trees.

The single is also accompanied by an expertly shot and perfectly captured video clip, from the award winning film team at APC Films, led by producers and directors, Ryan Bradley & Hattie Adams (Nominated for Producing / Directing in Wairoa Maori Film Festival , Vision Feast Film Festival and Los Angeles Music Video Festival). Working alongside Ryan & Hattie for this video is Producer, Summer Vaha’akolo ( Winner of NZ On Air Best Pacific Music Video at 2022 Pacific Music Awards) and doing Makeup / Costume Design is Amanda Ashton, ( Winner of New Zealand Television Award for Make Up Design 2022). APC Films are no strangers to Aro’s musical beauty, having worked with them on the video clips for singles, Tauhou and Tohorā, this talented team explore with care, texture and visual artistry, the prowess of the mighty ‘Tōtara’, perfectly capturing its essence.

‘Tōtara’, a deeply moving ballad, holds a special place in Emily & Charles’s hearts, with the pair dedicating the song to their Aunty Kathy - who passed at the end of 2021, who we miss dearly. We remember the way she loved, a queen of hospitality!