Oceans Before Me Charitable Trust

'Daughters of the Dawn' 19.11.2021

"The entirety of “Daughters of the Dawn” was guided by Panther members and inspired by the vāhine in the movement, specifically Melani Anae, Miriama Rauhihi Ness, Etta Gillon and more. It serves as an incredible witness of what intergenerational healing looks like, uniting and passing on an unbreakable bond of strength and perseverance.

The emphasis of an all vāhine artist project, hence the name “Daughters of the Dawn,” was an informed choice, showcasing a perspective that only vāhine can honour, “the Dawn Raid stories also told from their own mothers, grandmothers and aunties whom settled in a land that promised much and in the same breath declined them.

“Mother’s Design” is one of the ten tracks off the project that honours this story-telling. The song is dedicated to the Vāhine sisters in the movement and shares KALALA’s mother Paina Falanika Sione’s generational wisdom. “Mother’s Design” nods to the matriarchs which have empowered KALALA and of course, the community. With smooth strums and rustled flair, “Mother’s Design” reminds us that we are the unapologetic fire, design and legacy of an intergenerational miracle.

Danya Yang

CREATIVE PROCESS

The album artwork best reflects the collaborative process of the artists connection, with the joining names of La Coco and KALALA spelling 'Kō' indicating to sing/resound, while Vox Dawn and MARINA spell 'Vā' to denote the relational space and its importance. The distance between each artist, with the ongoing challenges faced during COVID lockdowns eventually became a natural default in how the entirety of "Daughters of the Dawn" came about.

Throughout this defaulted space, La Coco chose to work with Beat Producer M4 Malachi Samuelu and Sound Producer Christian Mausia, MARINA with Producer Sonny Tuiletufuga, KALALA working with Diego Villalta and Vox Dawn Co-Producing with Nigel Mauchline. Finally with Hamish Townsend alongside Ayaluna El bacha Co-Producing "Carry on the Walk". The outcome illustrates a large body of work, a 10 track album that not only highlights the individual artists style but enabled the artists to lock in parts of the Dawn Raid narrative that resinated with them individually. Track7 "Gone" by La Coco touches on the migration, track 5"Feagaiga" by Vox Dawn acknowledges the covenant relationship between the brother and sister within the Polynesian Panthers, track 8"Mothers Design" by KALALA reflects on the direct bloodline and purpose in acknowledgement of those before us and track 6 "We Want the Dawn" by MARINA specifically paying homage to the Polynesian Panthers.

The entrance track of "Daughters of the Dawn" features a rendition of Tigilau Ness (Unity Pacific) "From Street To Sky" an iconic resonance not only in sound but as a reminder of our history, the stories told before us. The rendition version is stripped back, presented as a raw A cappella, carefully layered with each of the artists voices starting with the poetic words of MARINA.

Daughters of the Dawn - full album 19.11.2021

2021 Pacific Music Awards

Press / Reviews & radio

“Carry On The Walk” begins with chilling samples of the movement’s leaders, before a smooth backbeat enters. Lyrics which harness deep layers of intergenerational resilience are paired with vocal harmonies transcended through their lineage. Each of the four artists showcase their gifts, from established spoken-word poet and facilitator MARINA’s truths and La Coco’s Waiata Maori
Award-winning vocal artistry."

Danya Yang