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Waiata provides connection for school students

28 May, 2020

While in lockdown at home, Antonio Toetoe a Kaiako (teacher) in Kōmanawa, the bilingual provision Haeata Community Campus, knew he could use his love of music to connect with his students.

Toetoe who graduated with a Bachelor of Music Arts from Ara in 2018, put his guitar, songwriting and producing skills to work and created an upbeat waiata, He Waka Eke Noa (We are all in this waka together).


Antonio playing guitar in the music video

In what was an unsettling and confusing time, Toetoe encouraged his students to see the bright side of the lockdown and engaged them in a fun project they could all work on together from their own homes.

The students created taonga pūoro (instruments) out of cans, boxes and other objects they could find around the house, and recorded themselves playing the waiata. The class also had online video meetings to jam together, providing enough footage for the music video Toetoe created.

“The song talks about having fun with what you have in your bubble, staying positive, and being in the same waka together. Acknowledging our Māoritanga is always important, hence why there is equally a te reo Māori presence as there is in reo Pākehā,” said Haeata Community Campus.

Watch the video of He Waka Eko Noa here. 

Read the interview Antonio Toetoe did with Te Ao Māori.