Tāmaki Makaurau’s Geneva AM (Geneva Alexander-Marsters, Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Aitutaki, Palmerston) brings us her new single Pikipiki, featuring a range of fellow Aotearoa vocalists, all of whom pack quite a punch. Together? WOW!

Following an awesome intro that includes a Conch Shell performed by Tyson Campbell, we kick into the song in full force. Sung in Te Reo, Geneva‘s rich vocal embodies the overall vibe, which is dancy, earthy, rich in harmony in the way the indigenous peoples of the South Pacific are so prolific. Mara TK‘s guitar pieces are a treat too.

The You Tubes vid is an entertaining live recording studio performance, featuring each of the artists involved. It highlights the parts each brought to the track, and is a good visual guideline for any newbies looking at how vocal harmonies are identified and laid down.

Drawing on her youth experiences seeing Te Reo coming through into the mainstream music scene, Geneva says (from the EPK): “The term ‘Pikipiki’ means to climb and ‘Hikihiki’ refers to ascending. The lyrics are about climbing the highest mountain and flying over those obstacles like a kite as it ascends into the sky. I was also thinking about Tāwhirimātea (atua of the wind and storms) who always stands up for what he believes in, using storms to bring new beginnings. Pikipiki is a call out to him, asking for his breath to aid our kite’s flight and help us bring change.”

The studio work is great. It’s simple, not cluttered with stabs and effects, and does the work of anchoring a beat while the vocalists do the mahi. I can tell that this was a deliberate tactic, and I applaud for that. This is a shoo-in for radio and TV airplay, I can tell you now. It’s a dance-friendly track so you will hear this on DJ track lists too. It’s on Spotify of course, so go on and find it.

Geneva AM and her amigos are a force of nature with this number. This is worth your time.