Waiata (song) cover by Korea couple...

There is so much happening in our world with the death toll of the Coronavirus COVID-19 climbing daily with over 382,000+ deaths globally to date. This has been a matter of global concern for the past few months but numbers show that it still hasn't abated in many countries with USA's death toll over 106,000+, UK at almost 40,000 with countries like Brazil and Mexico climbing as well.

Then there is also the sad state of affairs in USA with the public killing of George Floyd in Minnesota that lead to strengthening 'Black lives matter' protests all over the US but then riots are happening in various states with global solidarity spreading all around the world as many major cities host 'Black lives matter' protests.

Our two eldests attended with my beloved on Monday in the city where mainly Uni students, youth etc. assembled and showed their support of their 'Black' brothers and sisters in the States. Pacific and Maori youth discussed about experiencing similarities of racism, prejudice, poverty etc.

In my younger days of protesting and gathering together to show solidarity for causes that I believed in, it definitely strengthened my resolve in making known what I believed in a very public way that others may not have agreed with and I see the same for my children's generation.

But I'm also aware of those silent ones who pray and still others who show their solidarity in various other ways on digital media with digital posters, articles, blogs, news articles etc. those are also ways of peacefully protesting i.e. the saying of the pen is mightier than the sword.

This week, I came across a Korean couple who sing/play Maori waiata (songs) in recognising (I think) the beauty of the lyrics and sounds. I discovered them last year and have listened to some of their arrangements of which I've enjoyed listening to.

I must say that in being a lot more musical in my younger days, I so appreciate Maori waiata in having a different sound to Western music and even Samoan pese (songs). This is an arrangement of 'The Lord's prayer' sung in te reo Maori. Something to calm us in the eye of our global storm. Listen and enjoy...