Skip Content
Songs of Rangahau,

A just-released, 11-track album shows there’s more to rangahau than producing a 30,000-word thesis which few people will ever read.

The album, Songs of Rangahau, was recorded by artists and musicians within Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Rangahau Adviser Sophronia Smith says it allows those involved to tell their stories through the medium of music.

The album acknowledges waiata, music and song as rangahau and “as a medium to share our stories, our struggles and our realities,” she says.

“The album acknowledges music’s ability to convey social, cultural, political and personal messages. It is recognising contemporary music as a site of resistance and emancipation in the further development of Māori and indigenous identities and communities. It reflects resistance to mainstream ideologies by celebrating the pursuit of mātauranga from a Māori world view.”

She says Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is already a leader in mātauranga Māori and is encouraging innovation in areas such as contemporary Māori music.

Most of the songs are sung in te reo Māori and Sophronia says many also reflect the vision and values of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

The album was launched at Te Puna Mātauranga last week with performances of several of the songs included on the album.

Pou Arahi Rangahau, Dr Shireen Maged, says the album supports the rangahau strategy at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, in that it inspires excellence and innovation in the pursuit of knowledge that is relevant to our context. 

“The rangahau momentum is here, these are narratives of our lived experiences and we are challenging the dominant forms of knowledge construction.”

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa kaimahi are able to download the album for free at: https://open.spotify.com/album/6lVus4HSts8xtewPXVHKVX

 Back to news & events

Published On: April 26, 2017

Article By:



Other Articles

  • 31 July 2025

    Whānau fuelled success at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa

    Nadia MacDonald’s journey through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa’s Diploma in Small Business and Project Management highlights the power of whānau support, Māori values, and practical learning. Discover how she balanced work, study, and parenting to achieve success and uplift her community.

  • 24 July 2025

    Tamariki once were cherished

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa’s Te Manawahoukura Rangahau Centre releases Taku Waipiataata, Taku Hei Tāwhiri, a powerful report calling for a revival of gentle, respectful Māori parenting. Discover how tūpuna child-rearing practices can transform whānau wellbeing and uplift future generations.

  • 24 July 2025

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa chief executive Evie O’Brien announced as Te Kura Toroa

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa celebrates its 40th anniversary by bestowing chief executive Evie O’Brien with the enduring title of Te Kura Toroa. Discover the cultural significance of this new role and its reflection of leadership, kaitiakitanga, and Māori values.

  • 23 July 2025

    Māori musician's reo Māori journey leads to wānanga kaiako role

    Jordyn Rapana, known as Jordyn With A Why, shares her inspiring journey of learning te reo Māori to raise her tamariki in a reo-speaking home. From immersion study to becoming a kaiako at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, discover how music, whānau, and culture shaped her path.