Ka Taria

"Ka Taria"
Single by Rob Ruha and Drax Project
LanguageMāori, English
Released2 September 2022 (2022-09-02)[1]
GenrePop
Length3:03
LabelDrax Project
Songwriter(s)
  • Benjamin O'Leary
  • Matt Beachen
  • Rob Ruha
  • Sam Thomson
  • Shaan Singh
Producer(s)Drax Project
Rob Ruha singles chronology
"That's Where I'll Be"
(2022)
"Ka Taria"
(2022)
Drax Project singles chronology
"Fashion Sense"
(2022)
"Ka Taria"
(2022)
"Gameboy Color"
(2022)

"Ka Taria" ("Waiting") is a song by New Zealand musicians Rob Ruha and Drax Project. A song sung in Māori and English, it was released as a single during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. It was the third Drax Project song released as a part of the Waiata / Anthems project, following "I Moeroa / Woke Up Late", and Ruha's second, after "35". The song debuted at number 17 on the New Zealand Hot Singles chart, the highest position by a New Zealand artist's song that week. By the end of 2022, it was the 20th most successful Te Reo Māori song of the year in New Zealand.

Background and composition

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In September 2019, Drax Project took part in Waiata / Anthems, a compilation album of contemporary New Zealand music re-interpreted in Te Reo Māori. They performed "I Moeroa", a re-recording of the band's 2017 single "Woke Up Late" translated by Sir Tīmoti Kāretu and Jeremy Tātere MacLeod.[2][3] The team behind the production of "I Moeroa" contacted Drax Project after its release, to work on a second song, which led to the release of "Tukituki Te Manawa".[4] Ruha's collaboration single with Te Tairāwhiti, youth choir Ka Hao, "35" (2021), was released during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2021[5] and became a hit single for Ruha and Ka Kao.[6]

Ruha travelled to Wellington to write and record the song with the band in mid-2022, over the course of a few days.[7][8] The song was written in a collaboration with Ruha and Drax Project, not based on a pre-existing song, and was written about waiting for estranged friends to come back into a person's life.[8]

Release

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The collaboration was released on 2 September, a few days before the start of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.[9] It was one of the top performing Māori language singles during the week.[10]

Credits and personnel

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Credits adapted from Tidal.[11]

  • Matt Beachen – composer, lyricist, drums
  • Drax Project – engineer, producer
  • Vicek Gabriel – mastering engineer
  • Mic Manders – mixer
  • Ben O'Leary – composer, lyricist, guitar
  • Rob Ruha – composer, lyricist, vocals
  • Shaan Singh – composer, lyricist, saxophone, vocals
  • Sam Thomson – composer, lyricist, bass

Charts

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References

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  1. ^ "Ka Taria". iTunes. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  2. ^ C.C. (5 August 2019). "'Waiata / Anthems' Collection Announced". Under the Radar. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  3. ^ "5. DRAX PROJECT - I MOEROA / WOKE UP LATE". Universal Music New Zealand. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Drax Project". Tresa Magazine. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Waiata Anthems: 30 artists join forces to celebrate a bilingual music industry". ZM. 6 September 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2022.
  6. ^ Harawira, Tumamao (19 April 2022). "Ka Hao and Rob Ruha go viral on TikToK". Te Ao Māori News. Māori Television. Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Rob Ruha and Drax Project celebrate Māori Language Week with Jono and Ben". The Hits. September 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  8. ^ a b Flava Breakfast (9 September 2022). "Catch ups with Rob Ruha and Drax Project". iTunes. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Waiata Anthems Week 2022: Artists release 26 new songs celebrating te reo Māori". The New Zealand Herald. 2 September 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  10. ^ Jacobs, Maxine (5 October 2022). "Waiata Anthems take out top spots in NZ Top 40 charts across Mahuru Māori". Stuff. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  11. ^ "Credits / Ka Taria". Tidal. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  12. ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Hot 20 NZ Singles". Recorded Music NZ. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  14. ^ "NGĀ WAIATA KAIRANGI I TE REO MĀORI O TE RĀRANGI 10 O RUNGA TOP 10 TE REO MĀORI SINGLES". Official NZ Music Charts. Recorded Music NZ. 10 September 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  15. ^ "Te Reo Māori O Te Rārangi 10 O Runga: End of Year Charts 2022". Recorded Music NZ. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.