Emily Rice Releases New Waiata Reo Māori ‘Warenoa’
Tāmaki Makaurau multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Emily Rice has released her stunning new single, Warenoa, paired with a vibrant music video filmed by Tom Grut.
The single from Rice, Warenoa, supported by APRA Te Tautāwhinga and Creative NZ, is a te reo Māori version of her song Careless which was released on her 2021 EP called Auaha. Her funky-chill style integrates vocal looping, sprinkles of jazz and snazzy sax solo played by Emily herself.
“This song is inspired by the rhythm I found during the Aotearoa lockdown in April 2020, a time I dedicated to writing and creating music every single day,” says Emily about the latest single, Warenoa. “It’s become even more relevant for me today, in 2023, as I recently gave up my day job to focus fully on music, taking away all other distractions from other mahi to pour my heart and soul into the thing that I find most exciting – music!”
With a sound that defies genre and is ever-evolving, Emily Rice has an impressive list of accolades, including twice being a finalist for ‘Songwriter of the Year’ when she was studying at pop music school. She is also a multi-talented instrumentalist and singer, who has performed throughout Europe. When she’s not making music under her own name, she’s one half of the bi-lingual duo Aro – a three-time finalist in the prestigious Silver Scroll Awards, as well as a finalist for Best Māori Group at the 2022 Waiata Māori Music Awards.
The single is a seamless blend of chill DnB-meets-RnB pop. The lyrics of this waiata have been translated by Pere Wihongi, and the tune has been produced, recorded and mixed by M J Collier/ Leone at Aro Music Studio and Little Lion Studio, and mastered by Vivek Gabriel.
Emily Rice – Warenoa is out now 26th May
