Dave Dobbyn records Māori song

Dave Dobbyn's Welcome Home was an instant Kiwi classic, so it makes total sense for him to translate it into te reo and re release it to celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.

He released it on Friday to pre-empt Māori Language week, after working with te reo expert Te Haumihiata Mason to get the translation. It was recorded with backing vocals from Maimoa from Maori TV's Voices of Our Future.

Dobbyn says he was "moved" by the translation and that it was "such an honour to sing in te reo, a naturally poetic tongue".

"It's quite a challenge, but Te Hau is a great teacher and I was charmed by both her coaching and support from Maimoa.

"I don't have any excuses now for not immersing myself in the language. It's like learning to play a new instrument."

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission.