IA Honour The Heartbeat Of The Pā With Uplifting Indigenous-Soul Single ‘Pā Māori’

Two-piece Aotearoa soul collective IA are set to ignite this summer with their uplifting new single ‘Pā Māori’ off their upcoming EP ‘Tawhiti’. The bilingual waiata celebrates the people who are the living heartbeat of the pā, and brings acoustic-pop brilliance to their signature blend of soul and taonga pūoro.

Crafted from the experiences of being on the pā, ‘Pā Māori’ is an acknowledgement to the ahikā - those who keep the home fires burning.

Taonga pūoro artist and lead singer of IA, Reti Hedley, says the waiata is about honouring the people who carry the kaupapa of the pā, from the haukāinga to whānau returning from afar.

“The pā is where our identity is rooted, in the whare, the whenua, and its people. With this waiata, we wanted to recognise and whakamana all our whānau. Those who carry the kaupapa of keeping all of our marae going, whenua looked after, and those who may not be here in person, but still carry that kaupapa with them,” says Reti.

Led by the resonant voice of the pūmoana - traditionally used as a call to manuhiri, tūpāpaku and newly born tamariki - the waiata blends taonga pūoro, acoustic pop and smooth vocals into a summer jam built to be sung across the motu.

Formed by multi-instrumentalists Moetu Smith (Ngāti Māhanga, Ngāti Maniapoto) and Reti Hedley (Ngāti Tūwharetoa), IA is recognised for their unique blend of taonga pūoro and Indigenous soul, showcasing the beauty of traditional Māori instruments in a contemporary and accessible setting, drawing in audiences from Aotearoa and beyond.

Since their formation in 2021, IA has had four singles chart on the Hot 20 NZ Singles, three waiata featured during the 2023 Women’s Cricket World Cup, and were recently named finalists in the prestigious APRA Maioha Silver Scroll Awards. Their most recent release, ‘He Piko He Tuna’, a collaboration with Rei, is sparking significant radio play across iwi radio and has secured spots on major Spotify playlists including Raw Silk, Crush, Waiata Reo Māori, R&B Connect, and New Music Friday Australia & NZ.

‘Pā Māori’ is out now on all streaming platforms and leads into the release of their EP, ‘Tawhiti’ in early 2026.

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