"Pepeha" is a song by New Zealand band Six60, performed bilingually in English and MÃÂori. "Pepeha" is the band's second song to be recorded in Te Reo MÃÂori, and was released as a single in 2021 to coincide with Te Wiki o te Reo MÃÂori. The song was written by Six60 band members Marlon Gerbes and Matiu Walters, alongside Te Reo experts Mahuia Bridgman-Cooper (a member of the Black Quartet), Jeremy TÃÂtere MacLeod and Sir Tëmoti KÃÂretu.
In 2019, the band collaborated with musician and project coordinator Hinewehi Mohi for the album Waiata / Anthems, a project for Te Wiki o te Reo MÃÂori which reimagined popular New Zealand songs in MÃÂori language. Six60 performed "Kia Mau Ki Tà  à ªkaipà Â", a reimagining of their version of their 2011 single "Don't Forget Your Roots". The album was widely successful, certified platinum by Recorded Music NZ, and in the album's first week, "Kia Mau Ki Tà  à ªkaipà  / Don't Forget Your Roots" reached number 10 on the New Zealand singles chart - the highest-charting song from the album.
Two years later, Six60 decided to collaborate with Mohi a second time for an original song, to be released during Te Wiki o te Reo MÃÂori 2021. Lead singer Matiu Walters is MÃÂori (Te Rarawa, Te Aupà Âuri and NgÃÂpuhi), however did not grow up speaking the language. The band wrote the song at Mohi's house.
The word pepeha references a form of self-introduction, where the speaker describes their ancestry and connections to the natural environment (such as which waka their ancestors arrived on, and what mountains, rivers and marae are important to them and their family roots). Walters wanted to create a pepeha that would apply to all New Zealanders. Musician Reti Hedley performs taonga pà «oro, or MÃÂori traditional instruments on the song.
The band first performed the song live as a part of a TikTok livestream on 19 September 2021, as the band was in Los Angeles at the time of the song's release.
Credits adapted from Tidal.