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 Te Karanga, our newest waiata - out now!


Credit: Maioro Taylor
Credit: Maioro Taylor

​Listen to Te Karanga HERE | Watch Te Karanga HERE


Award-winning Aotearoa duo Aro are embracing a new season of life and releasing Te Karanga, their powerful new waiata to match. This Easter, Charles and Emily Looker (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua, Ngāti Mutunga), along with their two tamariki, packed up their Pukekohe home, moved their life into a custom-fitted Rugged Kiwi caravan, and hit the road to live a life centred around whānau, community, bicultural connection, and legacy.

It’s a bold lifestyle shift that mirrors the heart behind Te Karanga, their hopeful new waiata, released May 23rd, 2025.


"We should always find a way, when love calls — Karanga mai..."

Written in late 2024 after an unforgettable live set with TONES, Te Karanga captures a deeply personal moment for the duo — a call to respond to aroha, to move forward with hope, even when the path is uncertain. Unlike Aro’s earlier concept albums, often grounded in months of research into Te Taiao, this waiata poured out in an evening — raw, real, and deeply reflective of their lived experience.

Musically, Te Karanga weaves Aro’s signature bilingual artistry with an expansive, soulful sound, powered by the gospel energy of House of Misfits. Recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by talented Scott Seabright in Onewhero and at Auckland’s Lab Studio, it offers rich harmonies, irresistible groove, and the emotional authenticity that has earned Aro critical acclaim and public love — including most recently the, 2024 Waiata Māori Music Award for Best Pop Album.


In every way, Te Karanga is more than just a song. It’s a reflection of Aro’s kaupapa: to live with hope, to move with aroha, and to leave a legacy that calls others forward.

The song’s spirit is beautifully captured in its accompanying lyric video and its behind the scenes live recording video, with the former filmed by whanaunga Maioro Taylor (Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua) on Āwhitu Peninsula. It follows Emily and Charles walking a long road toward a small chapel — a visual metaphor for answering the call of aroha, carrying hope forward, and trusting in the journey. 

The release of Te Karanga also follows a major milestone for Charles, who earlier this year stood with Muriwhenua to perform at Te Matatini 2025, reaffirming Aro’s deep commitment to uplifting te ao Māori through music, kaupapa, and action.


With their lives now woven into the land and its people in a new way, Aro are working towards their third full-length album, due for release in Autumn 2026 (supported by Te Māngai Paho), drawing inspiration from their adventures, their whānau life on the road, and their continued work delivering storytelling and songwriting workshops in kura across Aotearoa ( thanks to the NZ Music Commission).


Te Karanga was released on May 23rd, 2025, with thanks to Te Māngai Paho and NZ On Air through Waiata Takitahi.




 
 

Updated: May 26

A three panel illustration, tree trunks, flame-like shapes, and leaves

Nothing stays the same

When everything has changed

It’s a lingering pain

We should always find a way


When love calls


Karanga mai

Māku koe e whai

Karanga mai rā

Māku koe e whai


Tukua kia rere

Ka kore kua kore

He mamae roa

Whaia ko te ara tika


When love calls


Karanga mai

Māku koe e whai

Karanga mai rā

Māku koe e whai


When love calls


 




Te Karanga - a translation

Call out to me

I’ll find/pursue you

Call out to me

I’ll find/pursue you

(this is directed to love personified)


Release it/Let it go

What’s gone is gone

An enduring pain

Find the right way (forward)










Kia ora e te whaanau!


Just writing a blog to share with you to wish you all a beautiful new year!


It truly does feel like the start of the new year for us - with a our newest edition to the whaanau, Teaumarino, our son who was born at the start of the year just hitting 6 months yesterday. With Matariki bringing our first shows/festivals of the year, and to top it off finding out the first track of our new album has been announced today as a finalist (top 20) for the APRA Silver Scroll Awards! It's been a wonderful first half of the year for us, life with two kids has been so awesome - VERY full on, but we couldn't be more stoked with our two littlies and the joy it is having them here. Olive is 3 years old now, full to the brim of beans (the best kind) and loves her little brother so much. Teaumarino is incredibly cruisey, smiley and chatty, his name literally means the calm currents - and indeed, that's him.We released our newest album 'He Rākau, He Ngārara' on April 19th and it's been such a buzz sending this off into the world!We have had some incredible coverage throughout media around this release, thanks to our amazing publicist Cheree Ridder! Head over to the media page on our website to check some of it out.


Here's a lil write up from the PR about this new project, which was made possible thanks to funding from Creative NZ.


‘He Rākau, He Ngārara’, is a beautiful step on Aro’s musical journey, further highlighting their talents and the respect held for them by so many. The music takes us from the upbeat to the more mellow vocal driven tracks, taking us from Northland - Ngāti Kurī, through to the deep south of Auckland - Ngāti Te Ata Waiohua and down to Taranaki - Ngāti Mutunga, Te Atiawa nui tonu. As we listen, we accompany them on this path, following the Rākau & Ngārara and in the footsteps of the pair's vast whanau’s knowledge & history. 


The fourth innovative body of work from ‘Aro’, ‘He Rākau, He Ngārara’, celebrates significant native rākau & ngārara. The process included researching mātauranga Māori, related or relevant to, legends and whakatauki, with each waiata written with involvement from members of iwi and hapū that Charles belongs to.‘He Rākau, He Ngārara’ has been produced and recorded with award winning producer, Vivek Gabriel in his Mt Roskill studio ‘Gabriel Audio’.  Aro have also had support and musical mentorship on this project from Laughton Kora, with multiple kiwi artists adding their magic to the album’s waiata - Warren Maxwell, Chip Matthews, Gin Papali’i, Aaron Clarke, Bill Sim, Guy Harrison, Lucy Summerfield, Sam Kelsen, Oliver Meade, Eli Moore, Adam Tobec, Anesu Maforimbo, Peter Leupolu, Abraham Kunin & Mike Gibson, as well as taonga puoro performed by Charles Looker (Aro). The pair were also honoured to spend time in Wellington recording with Warren Maxwell & Laugton Kora, specifically to record on Pounui, a beautiful rākau pūoro in Warren's care.


Below are our two newest music videos, Tōtara, which our wonderful friends Hattie & Ryan (who also created the stunning music video's for Tauhou and Tohorā) produced/directed with an incredible team, and then Māhoe me Patatē (our Silver Scroll nominated tune!) directed by Mumu Moore, created with another awesome team, filmed earlier this year all close to our home, with our littlies.





We have physical CD's and beautiful earrings (designed by Charle's dad!) as merch for the new project, if you'd like to get your hands on some - head over to the shop HERE.


That's all for now folks!


To stay in the loop with Aro happenings - join us on our socials, as we post on there often!


Aroha nui,

Emily, Charles and the whole Aro whaanau x


 
 
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