Musicians
HINEWEHI MOHI
Vocals
Hinewehi Mohi is an accomplished singer/songwriter. She has been dazzling audiences in New Zealand and abroad with her immense vocal talent since the debut of her first Oceania album in 1999. The album is dedicated to the struggles that inspire Hinewehi.
"Each song is different, but basically talking about how the Maori have struggled to survive also, so it's a two-pronged way of celebrating the survival of my daughter and then celebrating the survival of the Maori people." This extraordinary work continues to be popular seven years after its initial release with sales exceeding 70,000 worldwide and achieving double platinum success in her native country.
Hinewehi has an intensely strong dedication to her native language Te Reo Maori, and to her family. Her daughter Hineraukatauri lives with cerebral palsy, a condition she was born with. Through her journey with her daughter, Hinewehi started the Raukatauri Music Therapy Centre, which provides music therapy for special needs children of school age and younger. It is New Zealand's first music therapy centre. Music therapy is about building bridges of communication through music, about actively engaging individuals in potential growth, development and change through the power of music. Music therapy can help develop new skills, which can be transferred to other aspects of life. Hinewehi believes that for many people, music helps reduce a sense of isolation and creates new possibilities for participation in the world and a more creative life.
