ANZAC Day: Singer Nikau Grace honours Sir Robert Bom Gillies & 28th Māori Battalion
- Aleyna Martinez
- Apr 24
- 2 min read
Leading up to ANZAC Day 2025, Kawerau's Nikau Grace has released the new song, 'He Aha Te Aha', as part of Waiata Anthems - a movement that salutes the champions of te reo Māori through waiata.
Produced by Kings, and featuring Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue, Grace told Radio 1XX News, the track has an extra special place in her heart.
"Being approached by Waiata Anthems was an honour, but also I have my own personal whakapapa to the Māori Batallion.
"My koro fought alongside koro Bom, so I grew up hearing the stories and hearing the names and it really hit home, having the privilege to be a part of this waiata."
As a member of Gen-Z, Grace said she hopes the song can teach others and help preserve the stories of the 28th Māori Batallion.
"For me the sacrifices they made were massive, as Gen Z and actually just as Māori or Kiwis, we need to honour their sacrifice and make sure that it's not in vain.
"They went over there fighting for rights and equality, and they came back and it was worse, so the way I see it, that was the start of the hikoi.
"Today we are still on that journey, still fighting, so we need to make sure we continue fighting [so we can] honour them…many of them lost their lives so we need to make sure that it's not in vain."
Grace said she learned a bit about the Māori Batallion in school around ANZAC Day while growing up, but she, "had to take it into my own hands to learn about the pain and sacrifice they went through."
She said she would "love for the waiata be able to teach people and make them aware [of the 28th Māori Batallion].
"In the creative process we actually wanted to highlight the not so happy stuff, we wanted people to know this is what happens.
"Hopefully the waiata will be able to teach people," she said.
Bringing in Kapa Haka o Ngāti Whakaue to fill a space on the track that felt empty, was "incredible", she said.
After their victory at Te Matatini this year, Grace said the hapū’s tribute to Gillies at the competition in Taranaki "was just so perfect".
"For awhile there we just sat on the song and we couldn't figure out what was missing.
"Then Te Matatini happened, and that whole bracket was just like a sign and made that waiata, a lot more special."
Grace will be singing at the Kawerau Dawn Service on ANZAC Day, which is on at the Rautahi Marae, starting at 5.45 am.
Check out the He Aha Te Aha - ANZAC waiata (Short Documentary Story) feat Ngāti Whakue o Kapa Haka below:
