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The politics of an all Māori album: Marlon Williams
7 snips Jun 15, 2025
Marlon Williams, an acclaimed Aotearoa/New Zealand artist, discusses his new album Te Whare Tīwekaweka, recorded entirely in the Māori language. He reflects on the cultural significance of this work amid current political tensions, including recent restrictions on the Māori language in public service. Marlon shares personal stories about reconnecting with his heritage and the challenges of expressing Indigenous culture today. He also performs a song from the album, blending political narrative with musical artistry.
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Documentary Emerged Unexpectedly
- Marlon Williams never planned to highlight the album's Māori language aspect initially.
- A director convinced him of the power and importance of documenting it.
Māori Enhances Musical Mystery
- Marlon embraces genre-bending as part of his artistic style.
- Singing in Māori adds mysterious texture to his already eclectic music style.
Relearning Māori Was Essential
- Marlon Williams learned Māori partly in preschool but lost fluency in mainstream schooling.
- He worked with collaborators to relearn the language for the album.