Singer and songwriter Arahi has paid tribute to the legendary Māori navigator Kupe, on a stirring new waiata of the same name, which is out today.

“The waiata captures the spirit of exploring new horizons and embracing the uncertainty that comes with discovery,” Arahi says of the track, which is delivered in te reo Māori. “It draws compelling parallels between Kupe’s adventures and our own journeys through life.”

The song ‘Kupe’ was born from an APRA Songhubs session, in which artists are paired with fellow writers and producers. Often artists are paired with others they might not typically collaborate with - this combined with limited time to create, fosters an environment, which unleashes a wave of creative magic.

This magic is evident on ‘Kupe’, which saw Arahi working with an esteemed cast of writers and performers, including Noema Te Hau, Carwyn Ellis, Pere Wīhongi and Marika Hodgson.