An Inner Voice

She’s establishing a reputation as a gifted singer both at home and internationally. Whirimako Black uses her gift and her cultural background to give traditional Maori music a contemporary edge.

Words: Amokura Panoho  Photographs: Rebecca Swan

PICTURE STANDING ON the sand of beautiful Ohope Beach, south-east of Whakatane, when the sun has barely risen and the waves are gently caressing the shore. Then imagine listening to a soulful Maori waiata greeting the new day. It comes not from a CD track but from the singer, Whirimako Black (right), standing there with her eyes closed and her face turned to the sun. It’s a spine-tingling moment.

The second youngest of ten siblings grounded with values provided by her extraordinary parents Anituatua and the late Tai Paraki Black, Whirimako balances her desire to nurture and expose traditional Maori waiata and moteatea (chants) with the demands of a contemporary market. “My mother was worried that traditional waiata might become so commercialized they became common. Because of this I work hard to ensure that though my music is delivered mainly through a commercial market I can trust the music to be life-enhancing and respected for what it is. It is definitely not pop music.”

Professor Taiarahia Black, Whirimako’s older brother, states in the introduction to her third album Tangihaku: “The seductive selection of text…relates to the central theme…the revitalisation of the richness…inherent in Te Reo Maori.” This might seem like a simple ambition for a Maori musician, composer, singer and artist but in today’s highly commercial environment authentic indigenous music has to be marketable.

In preparation for her recent fourth album Kura Huna, a compilation of waiata and chants from the Mataatua region, Whirimako spent many hours visiting places in and around Whakatane where the songs were composed. The album, in collaboration with Russel Walder, an internationally acclaimed composer and oboe player, is seen by Mai Music (Whirimako’s record label) as a breakthrough. Victor Stent, CEO of Mai Music, says: “Whirimako has extraordinary talent. She is motivated by her passion for the Maori language and is recognized for the quality of her music. Russel hears Whirimako’s voice as an instrument and places it in an epic soundscape that extracts the full emotional impact of the material, without the listener being solely dependent on understanding the lyrics.” It is this ability to transcend language barriers that places Whirimako and her music on the international stage.

In 2004 two tracks from Whirimako’s Tangihaku album featured on the first 1 Giant Leap album that included artists such as Robbie Williams. One of these songs was also used in the hit movie Bullet-Proof Monk and its soundtrack album. Through this association she performed at the European Music Day celebrations in Athens staged over three days as part of the pre-Olympic Games build-up.

Despite this international recognition Whirimako values success closer to home. She would rather set up a studio/workshop on her whenua (land) close to Ruatoki inland from Whakatane, her papakainga (traditional home), and host workshops around music, composition and writing while producing her own music. “My mission is to bring out four albums in two years so that I can afford to sit back and be a creative artist. The songs that I write have to do with personal growth, so every time I sing them they are a reminder of where I came from.

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