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AEIOU (Moana and the Moahunters song)

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"AEIOU"
Single by Moana and the Moahunters
from the album Tahi
ReleasedApril 1991
Genre
Length4:02
LabelSouthside
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Stuart Pearce
  • John Diamond
Moana and the Moahunters singles chronology
"Black Pearl"
(1990) 		"AEIOU"
(1991) 		"Peace, Love and Family" / "Kua Makona"
(1993)

"AEIOU" - sometimes subtitled "Akona Te Reo" ["learn the (Māori) language"][1][2][3] - is a song by New Zealand musical group Moana and the Moahunters, released in April 1991[4] through Southside Records[5][6][7] as the second single from their debut album Tahi (1993).

Development and composition

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While the song is sometimes solely credited to group member Mina Ripia,[8] group leader Moana Maniapoto has alternatively commented that it was written by the entire group, with herself and Teremoana Rapley contributing verses around Ripia's original radio jingle chorus.[1][2][5] Maniapoto has described the song's purpose as "blatant propaganda" and a "call to action," to both enforce the proper pronunciation of Māori vowels into the minds of Pākeha and encourage Māori youth to join the Māori language revival and learn te reo Māori.[2][9] Its message has also been interpreted as a broader one aimed at all races to "get back to your roots."[1]

The track is a dance song[3] with a funk backing,[1] and includes a rap by Rapley in its bridge.[1][5] It was mixed by Mark Tierney of Strawpeople at Lab Studios in Auckland[6] and produced by Stuart Pearce and John Diamond.[2][3][4][6]

Release

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Upon its release, "AEIOU" became the first song to receive a music video funded by NZ On Air.[9] The Kerry Brown-directed video includes cameos from singer Mika X, rap duo MC OJ & Rhythm Slave, actor Temuera Morrison, and Maniapoto's father, among others.[2][9] It was filmed at Albert Park, St. Stephen's College in Bombay, and the home of Brown and his then-wife Rosanna Raymond (who served as the video's stylist).[2] However, the track only reached No. 31 on the New Zealand charts[10] in spite of the No. 2 peak of Moana and the Moahunters' previous single, "Black Pearl." Maniapoto has stated that radio stations considered the song to not "fit the format" and ignored it.[9]

Track listings

[edit]
  • New Zealand promo CD[6]
  1. AEIOU (Akona Te Reo) (radio mix)
  2. AEIOU (Akona Te Reo) (instrumental)
  • New Zealand 12-inch single[7]
  1. AEIOU (Akona Te Reo) (dance mix)
  2. AEIOU (Akona Te Reo) (radio mix)
  3. AEIOU (Akona Te Reo) (instrumental)

Charts

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Chart (1991) Peak
position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[10] 31

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Bourke, Chris (15 April 2019). "Moana Maniapoto". AudioCulture. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Walker Ahwa, Zoe (17 September 2020). "Moana Maniapoto and the '90s style and legacy of 'AEIOU'". Ensemble. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Moahunters' 'A E I O U'". Rip It Up. 1 July 1991. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Moana Gold". Rip It Up. 1 March 1991. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Pepperell, Martin (3 October 2024). "Ten 90s Classics & Deep Cuts: R&B, street soul and new jack swing". AudioCulture. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d "A E I O U (Akona Te Reo) (radio mix) ; A E I O U (Akona Te Reo) (instrumental) / Moana & the Moahunters". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  7. ^ a b "A E I O U (Akona Te Reo) (dance mix) ; A E I O U (Akona Te Reo) (radio mix) ; A E I O U (Akona Te Reo) (instrumental) / Moana & the Moahunters". National Library of New Zealand. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  8. ^ "Tahi - Moana And The Moa Hunters". Spotify. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d "AEIOU". NZ On Screen. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Moana & The Moahunters – A.E.I.O.U.". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
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