Most of the music I choose for Musical Mondays are oldies – those that have been my favourites for decades, but I’m not so old (yet) that I can’t become fond of new music. Here’s one such song from the New Zealand band SIX60.
The band was formed in 2008 by four Otago University students sharing a flat (house) at 660 Castle Street in the city of Dunedin. The name of the band is derived from that address. Their first album (SIX60) was released under their own label of Massive Entertainment in 2011 and debuted at number one in the NZ album charts and achieved gold within its first week. They have become one of the most popular (if not the most popular) band in the country, playing to crowds of fans exceeding 50,000, which, when you consider the population of this country is around 5 million, spread over 2,000 Km (1,300 miles) north to south, isn’t half bad, especially when such crowds were achieved in 2020 and 2021 during the pandemic.
In July 2021 the band purchased 660 Castle Street and established four $10,000 performing arts scholarships at the University of Otago. Winners of the scholarships reside, of course, at that address.
I’m not sure how you would describe their music genre. Audioculture describes it as “a soul and rock informed sound”, but whatever it is, it appeals to a wide audience from preteens to their parents and grandparents, and this is reflected in the mix of fans seen at their concerts. A level of their popularity can be measured by the fact that at time of writing the band had achieved 19 platinum and 5 gold singles, 3 platinum albums and one platinum EP.
Don’t Forget Your Roots single was released in July 2011. It peaked at number two in the Recorded Music NZ charts and number one on the RIANZ charts. At time of writing the song has certified sales of 8 x platinum. In 2019 the song was re-recorded in te Reo Māori for te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) and was retitled Kia Mau Ki Tō Ūkaipō / Don’t Forget Your Roots. I have included two versions. The first is taken from a 2020 live performance and is a mix of English and Māori lyrics. The second is the original from 2011. Enjoy!
Don't Forget Your Roots Whoa, whoa, yeah Don't forget your roots, my friend Don't forget your family, yeah Don't forget your roots, my friend The ones who made you The ones who brought you here Don't forget your roots, my friend, yeah Don't forget your family, yeah Don't forget your roots, my friend, yeah Whoa, yeah So Johnny was a good man Armed with the power of his homeland And with his boots laced tight and a ticket in his hand Never to return home again So he lost what he knows and what all is right For a broken world and a world of lies But the days were numbered, relationships suffered He lost the faith of all those who mattered so Don't forget your roots, my friend Don't forget your family, yeah Don't forget your roots, my friend The ones who made you The ones who brought you here Don't forget your roots, my friend Don't forget your family, yeah Don't forget your roots, my friend, yeah Whoa So Jessie thought that she was all that Thought she was heading on the right track Left her mates at the gate as she walked away Ooh, never to look back again So she lost what she knows and what all is right For a brand new image and a world of lies But the days were numbered, relationships suffered She lost the faith of all those who mattered so Don't forget your roots, my friend, yeah Don't forget your family, yeah Don't forget your roots, my friend The ones who made you The ones who brought you here Don't forget your roots, my friend, yeah Don't forget your family, yeah Don't forget your roots, my friend, yeah Whoa, yeah Whoa, whoa, yeah Don't forget your roots, my friend Don't forget your family, yeah Don't forget your roots, my friend The ones who made you The ones who brought you here Don't forget your roots, my friend, yeah Don't forget your family, yeah Don't forget your roots, my friend, yeah Whoa, yeah
Kia Mau Ki Tō Ūkaipō Oooohhhh Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō Kia mau hoki ki tō whānau Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō Ki tangata ai koe I hari mai a koe Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō Kia mau hoki ki tō whānau Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō āe Tangata pai a Hone Pakari ana te tū mai Tū ana tariana te ao Te hoki mai te auraki mai Ngaro ana i a ia i te mana He ao hurihuri he ao horihori Tāweko ana te taura tangata Motu ana te taura ka rawa āe Kia Mau Ki Tō Ūkaipō Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō Kia mau hoki ki to whānau Kia mau ki tō ūkaipo Ki tangata ai koe I hari mai a koe Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō Kia mau hoki ki to whānau Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō Pōhehe ana a Heni (Heni) I te huarahi tika ia (ia) Mahue ngā hoa haere atu ana (e huri mai anō) Ngaro ana i a ia te mana Kimi tikanga hou i te ao horihori Tāweko ana te taura tangata Motu ana te taura ka rawa āe Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō Kia mau hoki ki tō whānau Kia mau ki tō ūkaipo Ki tangata ai koe I hari mai a koe Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō Kia mau hoki ki tō whānau Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō Ringa pakia Waewae takahia Kia kino nei hoki Ka mate, Ka mate! Ka ora, Ka ora! Ka mate, Ka mate! Ka ora, Ka ora! Tenei te tangata puhuruhuru Nana i tiki mai whakawhiti te ra! A hupane, a hupane A hupane, kaupane whiti te ra! Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō Kia mau hoki ki tō whānau Kia mau ki tō ūkaipo Ki tangata ai koe I hari mai a koe Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō Kia mau hoki ki tō whānau Kia mau ki tō ūkaipō
Another Spectrum 
19 Sep, 2022 at 10:20 am
I like it.