Music album puts Bahá’í prayers in Maori language to music
Musicians in Christchurch, New Zealand, collaborated to produce an album in time for the bicentenary, putting to music Bahá’í prayers in the indigenous Maori language. The group was motivated by the publication last year of a new book of Bahá’í prayers in Maori. United in their goal to honor the indigenous people of New Zealand, musicians and friends knowledgeable in the language composed nine “waiata,” the Maori word for song or chant. A young musician involved in the project from the Kai Tahu Iwi tribe said that he was moved by the way the project helped him connect his Maori background with his love of the Bahá’í Faith, “Maori is a national language and I really want that to be treasured. I hope these songs bring people in New Zealand together.”