WHAI ORA, by Seth Haapu
When Aaradhna - the self-described "Indian and Samoan New Zealander" - released her 2016 Brown Girl album, on the title track she sang, "I'm more than the colour of my skin... I'm more than urban, R&B", a barbed comment about those who consign Māori and Pacific artists to convenient and often-marginalising categories.
When she won best urban/ hip-hop album at that year's music awards - as well as best female solo artist - it showed someone hadn't been listening. She refused the award and passed it to Onehunga's hip-hop group SWIDT.
"I'm a singer. I'm not a rapper, I'm not a hip-hop artist," she said. "It feels like I've been placed in a category for brown people." The multicultural group Nesian Mystik, Theia, Tommy Nee- of Niuean heritage, like Tigi Ness, Che Fu and the Fuemana families - Teeks, Seth Haapu and many others also stand apart from that category.
This story is from the July 15 - 21 2023 edition of New Zealand Listener.
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This story is from the July 15 - 21 2023 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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