“Ko te reo Maori, he matapihi ki te ao Maori” goes the Maori whakatauki (proverb) that has guided Aotearoa singer/songwriter Marlon Williams’ (Kai Tahu, Ngai Tai) fourth solo album, Te Whare Tiwekaweka.

Translated, it means “The Maori language is a window to the Maori world” and expresses Marlon’s motivation behind his first te reo Maori album. “Through the process of constructing these songs,” Marlon says, “I’ve found a means of expressing my joys, sorrows and humour in a way that feels both distinctly new yet also connects me to my tipuna [ancestors] and my whenua [land, home].”

Connection lies at the heart of Te Whare Tiwekaweka, the album’s five-year process reconnecting Marlon to family, friends and his home town of Lyttelton after a globe-trotting decade establishing his career. The album signifies another step in Marlon’s journey with his ancestral tongue, his ability in the language developing as the songs accumulated in the hours spent with close friend and co-writer, rapper KOMMI.

The language unlocked both a newfound lyrical honesty and a grand sonic vision. Supported by long-time touring band The Yarra Benders, co-producer Mark Perkins (Te Whanau-a-Apanui), the He Waka Kotuia singers and featuring a collaboration with pop star Lorde, the album traverses Marlon’s familiar folk-country-bluegrass territory, while continuing his exploration of poppier waters and the inherent rhythms of Maori music. The result is a collection at once contemporary and timeless.