Waiata Anthems - First Episode (excerpt)

It's such an honour for a Pākehā to have a song translated into te reo Māori.

– 'Bathe in the River' composer Don McGlashan

I'm scared to speak Māori in a way ... I'm doing this project because I want to be braver.

– Singer and songwriter Hollie Smith on performing 'Bathe in the River' in te reo Māori

It was a deep dive into a song that already resonates deeply, and I believe te reo Māori has not only created another layer of depth, but it is also another step in the long overdue process to normalise Māori language and culture into everyday mainstream life in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

– Hollie Smith on re-recording Bathe in the River for Waiata Anthems, Stuff , 2 May 2021

I have always wanted to speak more te reo Māori .... I know a lot of words but need to start working on sentence structure and being braver at trial and error in a public setting. I guess you hear two different opinions that are ‘just give it a try, as long as you’re trying’ and then the ‘If you can’t pronounce it properly, then don’t speak it’. I think both are true in different settings but, regardless, I don’t like being incorrect in case I offend.

– Hollie Smith on her personal relationship with te reo Māori, TV Guide, 22 April 2021

I had a pretty good understanding of kōrero Māori and pronunciation, but Tweedie Waititi, who did such an amazing job of the translation, also gave me a lot of help in really perfecting a lot of things and particular sounds for example ‘au’ versus ‘ou’. There is such a small difference to my Pākehā ears, however to Māori it’s obvious.

– Singer Hollie Smith on the finer details of singing in te reo, TV Guide 22 April 2021