Ko Au/I Am Me

After a childhood immersed in te ao Māori, Corrella’s lead singer Pipiwharauroa Campbell felt the need to push his cultural identity aside in order to fit into navy life. ‘Ko Au’, meaning ‘I am me’, is a joyful reclamation of his Māoritanga. The feel-good track was produced as part of series Waiata Anthems, which celebrates te reo music. In this video, Campbell dishes out wisdom in this upbeat pop track about being true to yourself and having pride in your identity. Campbell met his bandmates while they were in the navy in Auckland — their band name references the name of the road where they lived.

'Ko Au' was written specifically about going through my identity crisis. It’s a song to help others not feel ashamed of who they are. It doesn’t relate just to Māori — it’s for anyone. Don’t be ashamed of your culture and who you are, and don’t be afraid to shout it out to the world.

– Corrella lead vocalist Pipiwharauroa Campbell on writing 'Ko Au', NZ Herald, 1 May 2023

Key Cast & Crew

Julia Parnell

Producer

Hinewehi Mohi

Executive Producer

Breeze O'Connor

Camera Operator

Chylo Flavell

Camera Operator

Parehuia Mackay

Production Manager

Taine Noble

Editor, Director, Camera Operator