Niccolo Piccolo Returns with Joyful New Waiata ‘Mauri Ora’
Niccolo Piccolo (aka award-winning Aotearoa country-folk artist Nicola Mitchell (Ngāti Maniapoto)) has just released her sweet new waiata Mauri Ora.
Find Niccolo Piccolo’s kupu guide Here
Following the release of her debut Niccolo Piccolo single Row My Waka earlier this year, Mauri Ora is written entirely in te reo Māori and carries a heartfelt message of wishing the best for those around you.
Built around the phrase “Mauri ora ai rā ia rā ki a koe” (“Mauri ora every day/all the days to you”), Mauri Ora is a warm, folk-inspired waiata that celebrates connection and the joy of everyday te reo Māori.
For Niccolo Piccolo, the release represents an important milestone in her own reo journey.
“This waiata is the first I had written in te reo Māori on my own, and I was so excited to share it with my friends and the pou reo (the people that I lean on to help me write).
“I also see it as a mihi to the tamariki, teachers, whānau and supporters who have become part of this kaupapa by listening and growing the world of Niccolo Piccolo.”
Having already built a strong reputation as a skilled songwriter and performer – often performing alongside her equally celebrated sisters, Maegan and Jenny Mitchell – Niccolo Piccolo brings the same qualities into the world of tamariki music, combining her love of acoustic folk with her passion for te reo Māori to create waiata that are playful, memorable and full of heart.
Originally from Gore and now based in Ōtaki, Niccolo Piccolo grew up in a community where opportunities to engage with te reo were limited, so she wanted to create the kind of joyful, accessible te reo Māori waiata she wished she’d had as a child.
“I wanted to create music that children could genuinely enjoy while naturally absorbing te reo Māori,” says Niccolo Piccolo. “If tamariki are singing these songs because they love them, then they’re learning too – and that’s something really special.”
The visual world of Niccolo Piccolo is also helping tamariki learn. With both music videos and lyric videos bring the waiata to life on screen.
Watch the official video Here and the lyric video Here
Mauri Ora was created with guidance from mātanga reo and acclaimed Aotearoa artist THEIA (Em-Haley Kukutai-Walker, Waikato, Ngāati Tiipa), and with performances by Michael Muggeridge (mandolin), Michael Story (double bass) and Maegan Mitchell (backing vocals). The track was mixed by Tom Broome and engineered and mastered by Troy Kelly.
The single was made with the support of Te Māngai Pāho, Creative New Zealand and the APRA Aotearoa Mentorship Programme, through which Niccolo Piccolo was mentored by multi-disciplinary artist and 2022 APRA Maioha Award recipient Byllie-Jean (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Ngāti Pāhauwera).
While made for tamariki, Niccolo Piccolo has created joyful musical experiences that are sure to encourage listeners of all ages to engage with and learn te reo Māori – one wonderful waiata at a time!
Press play now on Mauri Ora and stay tuned for more to come from Niccolo Piccolo!
