Rob Ruha and Drax Project celebrate Māori Language Week with Jono and Ben

Te Wiki o te reo Māori! It’s Māori Language Week!

This year's Māori Language Week is extra special because it's the 50th anniversary of the Māori Language Petition which led to many of the kaupapa we have today, including this week.

It also means we have more te reo Māori music being made and played on radio stations across Aotearoa.

Jono and Ben caught up with two of the Kiwi musicians who took part in the Waiata Anthems project, Rob Ruha - who you’ll know from his hit song That's Where I'll Be, Ka Hao - 35 (feat. Rob Ruha) and his work on giving iconic Disney movies te reo Māori remakes - and Shaan Singh, the lead singer of the world-famous band Drax Project.

“I think we're standing in the shade of some giant trees that have been planted some time ago,” Rob Ruha told Jono and Ben about how the use of te reo in music has grown over the years. “We're just coming into our own, I think, in this country.”

Rob and Drax Project joined forces on their brilliant track Ka Taria.  

Speaking about recording the song, Shaan says it was one of the best experiences he’s had in his career writing songs after the song came together in just one day.

“Rob came down to our spot in Wellington, we hung out for a couple of days and pumped it out,” Shaan said.

“Quite frankly, we didn't need more than a day,” Rob added.

“It was one of the best writing experiences I've ever had, actually, it was really, really fun,” Shaan told Jono and Ben.

Listen to Rob and Shaan’s full interview with Jono and Ben and listen to their song Ka Taria above.

Check out Waiata Anthems now on TVNZ+.