Help finding an obscure song

Cranky

I remember listening somewhat frequently to a Māori song that was on one of those silly Starbucks CDs. The CD was a compilation of songs about chocolate from around the world.  The Māori song was my favorite, it was mostly harmonized vocals (women singing) with percussion.  But now I can’t find anything about it or the Starbucks CD anywhere.  This was roughly 15 years ago, though I’m sure the compilation is a bit older than that.

Anyone have any idea about this?

Litterick

Is it a traditional song or modern music? I have a vague recollection of excitement in the New Zealand media about a song on a Starbucks album, but I cannot recall the details.

digitalkettle

Litterick said:

Is it a traditional song or modern music? I have a vague recollection of excitement in the New Zealand media about a song on a Starbucks album, but I cannot recall the details.

Pleased to see someone trying to help rather than putting the mochas on it.

sev112

It’s just cultural appropriation isn’t it,  americanos making money out of the Māori

hollywoodrox

Jesus Māori & the wee donkey 

barnstorm

Is this it?

Hawaiian rather than Maori…

… and not from a Starbucks title…

… but fits the description musically…

… and from a chocolate-related compilation by Putumayo, whose CDs used to be sold in Starbucks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XI-H91IES8

sev112

There are a lot of Starbucks playlists on Spotify

Cranky

barnstorm said:

Is this it?

Hawaiian rather than Maori…

… and not from a Starbucks title…

… but fits the description musically…

… and from a chocolate-related compilation by Putumayo, whose CDs used to be sold in Starbucks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XI-H91IES8

Yeah man, that’s it!  I forgot about the Putumayo part.  It was listed as Hawaiian, but at the time I had a student who was a linguistics genius and he said it was Māori so that’s how I remembered it.

Thank you!

barnstorm

Cranky said:

barnstorm said:

Is this it?

Hawaiian rather than Maori…

… and not from a Starbucks title…

… but fits the description musically…

… and from a chocolate-related compilation by Putumayo, whose CDs used to be sold in Starbucks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XI-H91IES8

Yeah man, that’s it!  I forgot about the Putumayo part.  It was listed as Hawaiian, but at the time I had a student who was a linguistics genius and he said it was Māori so that’s how I remembered it.

Thank you!

No worries! I just knew Teresa Bright is Hawaiian, but your student was right re. the song itself according to the description on the video. When I read your OP it made me think of this:

https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/o2h8bx

Litterick

It is a well-known song in New Zealand, written by Dr Hirini Melbourne. Here is a video with lyrics in Te Reo and English: