Pereri King Releases ‘Whiti Ana Te Rā’
Whiti Ana Te Rā – performed by Pereri King and co-written with Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod and Hukarere Greening – draws its lyrics directly from letters written by Māori ancestors in the mid-to-late 1800’s, giving voice to words that have waited generations to be heard in song.
The waiata’s lyrics are sourced from heartfelt letters written by tīpuna (ancestors) during a formative period of Māori history that held its own challenges.
The central image of the waiata, “Whiti Ana Te Rā, Te Rā i Tua / the sun shining brightly over yonder, a new day rising”, symbolises forward movement, renewed possibility, and the enduring strength of unity. At its heart, the waiata reminds us that everything we need already exists within us, and that brighter days lie ahead.
