Musician Seth Haapu Photo: Supplied
Twelve years after Seth Haapu described helping someone out of a dark place in his debut single 'Bones', the award-winning musician is now a clinical psychologist with a deep understanding of well-being.
On his highly anticipated new album WHAI ORA, Haapu weaves his signature 'Pacific soul' singing with taonga puoro (traditional Māori instruments), nature samples and slick digital production.
In respect to his French Polynesian heritage, he wears a traditional hei upo'o Tahitian headpiece on the album cover.
"My hair is out, it's long … the journey that we go on is captured, I guess, in our hair. [This image] is very much me in my culture."
WHAI ORA was recorded in 2020 at a "humble little studio at the back of our whare, underneath the ngahere, the trees," Haapu tells Jesse Mulligan.
One of its waiata – 'Tropical' – is inspired by Haapu's 2019 visit to Tahiti with a group of New Zealand musicians including Maisey Rika and Troy Kingi.
For Haapu, the trip was not only an opportunity for cultural exchange but also a chance to reconnect with his ancestry.
Visiting his family's namesake village on the island of Huahine, he felt a "sense of belonging across time" amongst laidback locals who shared a powerful connection to the land, sea and their community.
"The place was like heaven on earth, really… I was inspired not only by what I saw around the community, the kaitiakitanga, care for land and people, but just being somewhere my ancestors had stood on the shore once and dreamt of other lands."
A sign announcing the town of Haapu on the the Tahitian island Huahine Photo: Seth Haapu / Facebook
'Rongoa' – another song on WHAI ORA – is about the sense of healing, hope and connection we can find via the natural world: "being close to the water, being close to the forest or whatever lifts your spirits".
Back in 2017, Haapu's desire to learn tools to offer people going through tough times inspired him to study clinical psychology.
With no previous experience in tertiary education, he enrolled in the University of Auckland, "went with it" and "loved it".
"Each year I got through and passed everything… then I applied for the clinical psychology doctorate programme and yeah, got through… I loved it so much. It felt really great being able to learn."
As a child, Haapu learnt to play Mozart and Beethoven on the piano. Later, he says he realised Tangaroa (the Māori god of the sea) was "another great composer".
"The sound of the wai – the water – the way it crashes and lands, is an instrument to me."
Haapu says the nature samples on WHAI ORA reflect his belief that the natural world can be a great source of well-being.
The album's themes of healing, hope and connection will resonate with listeners, he hopes: "If they do ... then I know that I've done an alright job."
Seth Haapu played:
- 'Whai Ora'
- 'Tropical'
- 'Night Sky'
- 'Kua Tokona' - a reimagining of the D'Angelo song 'Untitled (How Does It Feel)' in te reo Māori
- A reimagining of the Al Green song 'Let's Stay Together' in te reo Māori
