00:00:00
Speaker 1: Well, it would be pretty fair to say we've been following, supporting, celebrating Nicola Mitchell's musical journey for years, from the Mitchell twins to now carving out this beautiful new chapter of her own. And today she is joining us with a very special project, Te Ngahere, an album of bilingual songs, waiata, created for tamariki, our kids, released during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori Week.
00:00:23
Speaker 2: Oh Nicola, congratulations and welcome.
00:00:26
Speaker 3: Kia ora ngā mihi. Yeah, I've been so excited to put these songs out into the world and it's finally that week, you know, it's album weekend so look you're te reo Māori and yeah, it's just been so fun.
00:00:39
Speaker 2: Oh, it's so exciting.
00:00:40
Speaker 1: Te Nahiri means forest or the forest and you've described the album as a little nahiri that's been growing for years. Where did the seed for this whole project actually come from?
00:00:51
Speaker 3: I think even growing up down in Gord, I have always been someone that's keen to learn how to speak kareo Māori. I think that's something that a lot of small towns sometimes have people that really want to get into it, but it can be kind of tricky to get started. And so I kind of started making something that little me would have wanted. And that's kind of one of the ideas that kind of started crafting what Nicola Tickler would be. But alongside of that, I just love volunteering and being around kids. I love doing lots of community events. And so I just wanted to have something that would be a way for me to be a part of helping kids grow and learn. And I just think they're pretty special and fun to be around.
00:01:27
Speaker 1: I love that and I think that sums up you so nicely. What do you want our kids to feel or take away when they listen to this album?
00:01:37
Speaker 3: I think the main thing is that sometimes like trying to speak Māori, even if you are making mistakes, can feel really big and scary. It can feel like this huge thing. It can be quite like a boundary, I guess, for people to start learning because they're scared they're going to make a mistake. Yeah, there's this little whakatauki that we've been saying lots. I'm in a full-time immersion reo Māori course at the moment. So I'm in my second year of that. And we say to each other all the time, mā te mahika, hua mai te marama. And that means through doing the work, you'll find the understanding. So it's, yeah, by making the mistakes and by doing all of that, eventually you'll work out what's right and that sort of thing. So I'm just hoping, I guess, that someone might listen to these songs and think, I'm going to try something new.
00:02:19
Speaker 2: Oh, that's incredible.
00:02:19
Speaker 1: What a special whakatauke, which is kind of like a Māori proverb or a quote.
00:02:24
Speaker 2: Or a saying, eh?
00:02:25
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, just a little saying that people stick to. I think even like whakatauke in English, things that people always say. And I was coming from gore, one that I've always heard growing up, like listening and playing country music was like three chords and the truth is all you need. So that sort of thing, like it's, yeah, finding those sayings that people are clinging to and whatever space they're in, whether they're learning how to speak or whether they're learning how to play the guitar, like that sort of thing. So, yeah.
00:02:53
Speaker 1: We've watched you evolve musically from Mitchell Twins and now you've got this whole Niccolo Piccolo world with Katie the Kia, Tama the Tui, Cody the Kiwi. How different does this Niccolo feel creatively, personally, from where those early country music days?
00:03:09
Speaker 3: Hmm, well, I think they're all connected to each other, you know? Like, I think that's a really big part of music for me is sharing it with my family and sharing it with the community, I guess, like wanting to connect to people. So yeah, I'm definitely not finished singing country music stuff. I think this is just a part of me that has wanted to support people that are trying to learn Adele. A part of me that is also just excited to sing fun songs in front of possibly the most brutal audience we've had in life.
00:03:37
Speaker 1: Evolution, and yeah, and also kids, very truthful, but lucky you're absolutely incredible.
00:03:43
Speaker 2: How do we get Niccolo Piccolo in front of us?
00:03:45
Speaker 1: How do we get you to kura, to schools, to libraries, to communities with our kids?
00:03:51
Speaker 3: Well, later this week, I'm actually releasing all the lyric videos for every song on the album. There's 13 tracks on the album, so there's going to be 13 tracks lyric videos on YouTube, and there will be music videos following. Probably about once a week I'll be releasing a music video. So that's all on YouTube, but you can listen to the album, the song, from Tengahere anywhere that you listen to music. Or you can head to nicolopiccolo.com, which is... My website's spelt with two Cs in both words, and you can look there and you find a way to get through to those wires that way.
00:04:20
Speaker 2: Oh, incredible.
00:04:21
Speaker 1: We're going to have a sneak peek of one of the tracks.
00:04:24
Speaker 2: Is it a fave? Is it what are we going to listen to, and why?
00:04:28
Speaker 3: I reckon the track for this morning is Te Ngahere, which is the title track of the album. This one is mostly in Zeal Māori. There's a little couple of English lines in there, but this one is all about Te Rahinga o Te Ngahere, Te Atahua o Te Ngahere, so... The abundance of the forest is what makes it beautiful. So that is all meaning that we are sharing aerial with each other and we are all different parts of the forest. And if we're small or big or young or old or know lots of stuff or only just know a little thing, a thing or two, that's kind of what make the forest beautiful because everything's happening when it needs to and it's growing at its own pace, you know?
00:05:04
Speaker 2: Absolutely beautiful.
00:05:06
Speaker 1: It is so cool watching this little nahiri grow and we're very proud to have been along for the ride.
00:05:11
Speaker 2: Actually, it's out now. Go jump on the walker, have a listen, maybe learn a little there along the way.
00:05:17
Speaker 1: Actually, I'm going to get you to do the honours. You can introduce yourself and the song as we go into it on Hokonoi.
00:05:22
Speaker 3: Kia ora, ngā mihi. I'm Nicola Piccolo, and this is my new song, Pi Ngahere.
00:05:28
Speaker 4: Pi Ngahere Te rahinga o te ngahere Te atahua o te ngahere Kia rapu tonu, kia whai tonu e Te rahinga o te ngahere Te atahua o te ngahere Kia mahi tonu, mahi tātou e He kaka noa hoi, and I'm still learning how to go Kia rabu tonu, kia fai tonu e He kaka noa hoi, and I've still got a long way to go Kia mahi tonu, mahi tatou e Te rahinga o te ngahere, te atahua o te ngahere Kia rapu tonu, kia whai tonu e Te rahinga o te ngahere, te atahua o te ngahere Kia mahi tonu, mahi ta.
00:06:46
Speaker 3: Tohu e.
00:06:51
Speaker 4: And I'm still learning that I know And I've still got a long way to go Kia mahi tōnu, mahi tātou e Te rahinga o te ngahere Te atahua o te ngahere Kia rafu tōnu, kia whai tōnu e Te rahinga o te ngahere Te atahua o te ngahere Kia mahi tōnu, mahi tātou e Bye. Te rahinga o te ngahere, te atahua o te ngahere, kia rapu tonu, kia whai tonu e. Te rahinga o te ngahere, te atahua o te ngahere, kia mahi tonu, mahi tātou e. Kia mahi tōnu, mahi tātou e. Kia mahi tōnu, mahi tātou e.
Speaker 1: Well, it would be pretty fair to say we've been following, supporting, celebrating Nicola Mitchell's musical journey for years, from the Mitchell twins to now carving out this beautiful new chapter of her own. And today she is joining us with a very special project, Te Ngahere, an album of bilingual songs, waiata, created for tamariki, our kids, released during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori Week.
00:00:23
Speaker 2: Oh Nicola, congratulations and welcome.
00:00:26
Speaker 3: Kia ora ngā mihi. Yeah, I've been so excited to put these songs out into the world and it's finally that week, you know, it's album weekend so look you're te reo Māori and yeah, it's just been so fun.
00:00:39
Speaker 2: Oh, it's so exciting.
00:00:40
Speaker 1: Te Nahiri means forest or the forest and you've described the album as a little nahiri that's been growing for years. Where did the seed for this whole project actually come from?
00:00:51
Speaker 3: I think even growing up down in Gord, I have always been someone that's keen to learn how to speak kareo Māori. I think that's something that a lot of small towns sometimes have people that really want to get into it, but it can be kind of tricky to get started. And so I kind of started making something that little me would have wanted. And that's kind of one of the ideas that kind of started crafting what Nicola Tickler would be. But alongside of that, I just love volunteering and being around kids. I love doing lots of community events. And so I just wanted to have something that would be a way for me to be a part of helping kids grow and learn. And I just think they're pretty special and fun to be around.
00:01:27
Speaker 1: I love that and I think that sums up you so nicely. What do you want our kids to feel or take away when they listen to this album?
00:01:37
Speaker 3: I think the main thing is that sometimes like trying to speak Māori, even if you are making mistakes, can feel really big and scary. It can feel like this huge thing. It can be quite like a boundary, I guess, for people to start learning because they're scared they're going to make a mistake. Yeah, there's this little whakatauki that we've been saying lots. I'm in a full-time immersion reo Māori course at the moment. So I'm in my second year of that. And we say to each other all the time, mā te mahika, hua mai te marama. And that means through doing the work, you'll find the understanding. So it's, yeah, by making the mistakes and by doing all of that, eventually you'll work out what's right and that sort of thing. So I'm just hoping, I guess, that someone might listen to these songs and think, I'm going to try something new.
00:02:19
Speaker 2: Oh, that's incredible.
00:02:19
Speaker 1: What a special whakatauke, which is kind of like a Māori proverb or a quote.
00:02:24
Speaker 2: Or a saying, eh?
00:02:25
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, just a little saying that people stick to. I think even like whakatauke in English, things that people always say. And I was coming from gore, one that I've always heard growing up, like listening and playing country music was like three chords and the truth is all you need. So that sort of thing, like it's, yeah, finding those sayings that people are clinging to and whatever space they're in, whether they're learning how to speak or whether they're learning how to play the guitar, like that sort of thing. So, yeah.
00:02:53
Speaker 1: We've watched you evolve musically from Mitchell Twins and now you've got this whole Niccolo Piccolo world with Katie the Kia, Tama the Tui, Cody the Kiwi. How different does this Niccolo feel creatively, personally, from where those early country music days?
00:03:09
Speaker 3: Hmm, well, I think they're all connected to each other, you know? Like, I think that's a really big part of music for me is sharing it with my family and sharing it with the community, I guess, like wanting to connect to people. So yeah, I'm definitely not finished singing country music stuff. I think this is just a part of me that has wanted to support people that are trying to learn Adele. A part of me that is also just excited to sing fun songs in front of possibly the most brutal audience we've had in life.
00:03:37
Speaker 1: Evolution, and yeah, and also kids, very truthful, but lucky you're absolutely incredible.
00:03:43
Speaker 2: How do we get Niccolo Piccolo in front of us?
00:03:45
Speaker 1: How do we get you to kura, to schools, to libraries, to communities with our kids?
00:03:51
Speaker 3: Well, later this week, I'm actually releasing all the lyric videos for every song on the album. There's 13 tracks on the album, so there's going to be 13 tracks lyric videos on YouTube, and there will be music videos following. Probably about once a week I'll be releasing a music video. So that's all on YouTube, but you can listen to the album, the song, from Tengahere anywhere that you listen to music. Or you can head to nicolopiccolo.com, which is... My website's spelt with two Cs in both words, and you can look there and you find a way to get through to those wires that way.
00:04:20
Speaker 2: Oh, incredible.
00:04:21
Speaker 1: We're going to have a sneak peek of one of the tracks.
00:04:24
Speaker 2: Is it a fave? Is it what are we going to listen to, and why?
00:04:28
Speaker 3: I reckon the track for this morning is Te Ngahere, which is the title track of the album. This one is mostly in Zeal Māori. There's a little couple of English lines in there, but this one is all about Te Rahinga o Te Ngahere, Te Atahua o Te Ngahere, so... The abundance of the forest is what makes it beautiful. So that is all meaning that we are sharing aerial with each other and we are all different parts of the forest. And if we're small or big or young or old or know lots of stuff or only just know a little thing, a thing or two, that's kind of what make the forest beautiful because everything's happening when it needs to and it's growing at its own pace, you know?
00:05:04
Speaker 2: Absolutely beautiful.
00:05:06
Speaker 1: It is so cool watching this little nahiri grow and we're very proud to have been along for the ride.
00:05:11
Speaker 2: Actually, it's out now. Go jump on the walker, have a listen, maybe learn a little there along the way.
00:05:17
Speaker 1: Actually, I'm going to get you to do the honours. You can introduce yourself and the song as we go into it on Hokonoi.
00:05:22
Speaker 3: Kia ora, ngā mihi. I'm Nicola Piccolo, and this is my new song, Pi Ngahere.
00:05:28
Speaker 4: Pi Ngahere Te rahinga o te ngahere Te atahua o te ngahere Kia rapu tonu, kia whai tonu e Te rahinga o te ngahere Te atahua o te ngahere Kia mahi tonu, mahi tātou e He kaka noa hoi, and I'm still learning how to go Kia rabu tonu, kia fai tonu e He kaka noa hoi, and I've still got a long way to go Kia mahi tonu, mahi tatou e Te rahinga o te ngahere, te atahua o te ngahere Kia rapu tonu, kia whai tonu e Te rahinga o te ngahere, te atahua o te ngahere Kia mahi tonu, mahi ta.
00:06:46
Speaker 3: Tohu e.
00:06:51
Speaker 4: And I'm still learning that I know And I've still got a long way to go Kia mahi tōnu, mahi tātou e Te rahinga o te ngahere Te atahua o te ngahere Kia rafu tōnu, kia whai tōnu e Te rahinga o te ngahere Te atahua o te ngahere Kia mahi tōnu, mahi tātou e Bye. Te rahinga o te ngahere, te atahua o te ngahere, kia rapu tonu, kia whai tonu e. Te rahinga o te ngahere, te atahua o te ngahere, kia mahi tonu, mahi tātou e. Kia mahi tōnu, mahi tātou e. Kia mahi tōnu, mahi tātou e.
