River of a Hundred Shadows (Awa O Te Pō)

Style: Dark Nordic Folk / Viking Chant Instrumentation: Deep, echoing frame drums, a droning bass instrument (like a Tagelharpa), water sound effects, and bone flutes. Vocal Style: Deep, guttural throat-singing mixed with aggressive, rhythmic gang chants.

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Lyrics

(Intro) (Sound of rushing river water and rain) (A deep, guttural throat-singing drone holds a single, low bass note) (Slow, heavy drum heartbeat: BOOM... BOOM... BOOM...) (Low, whispered group chant) Why-kah-toe... (Waikato - The region/river) Why-kah-toe... Ah-wah... (Awa - River) Ah-wah... (Verse 1) (Spoken with gravelly intensity over the drone) The fog is heavy on the Ah-wah Hear the ancient Kah-rah-key-ah (Karakia - Prayer/Incantation) Cold and dark the water flows Where the sleeping spirit goes Feel the Why-roo-ah (Wairua - Spirit) rise and fall Listen to the Kah-rah-ngah (Karanga - Call/Summons) Wood and water, bone and stone We do not walk the dark alone. (Chorus) (Drums erupt into a driving, primal rhythm) (Full choir of deep voices shouting together) Tah-nee-fah! (Taniwha - Water guardian/monster) Tah-nee-fah! Watching from the riverbed! Tah-nee-fah! Tah-nee-fah! Shadows creeping full of dread! Why-kah-toe Tah-nee-fah Row! (Waikato taniwha rau - Waikato of a hundred taniwha) Heh pee-koe, heh tah-nee-fah! (He piko, he taniwha - At every bend, a taniwha) (Verse 2) (Music drops back to just a rhythmic, pulsing drum and a haunting bone flute) Beneath the surface, deep and black There is no way of turning back The water carries all the weight Of the Tah-poo (Tapu - Sacred/Forbidden) and the fate Breathe the Hah (Hā - Breath of life) into the cold Stories that the elders told Mow-ree (Mauri - Life force) pulses in the deep Guarding secrets it must keep. (Bridge) (Acapella. Heavy foot stomping and rhythmic clapping) Koh-tah-hee! (Kotahi - One) Roo-ah! (Rua - Two) Toe-roo! (Toru - Three) Fah! (Whā - Four) Stand together on the shore! Hee-koh-ee! (Hīkoi - March/Walk) Hee-koh-ee! Forward through the heavy door! Key-ah Kah-hah! (Kia Kaha - Be strong/Stand strong) (Chorus) (Maximum volume, huge wall of sound) Tah-nee-fah! Tah-nee-fah! Watching from the riverbed! Tah-nee-fah! Tah-nee-fah! Shadows creeping full of dread! Why-kah-toe Tah-nee-fah Row! Heh pee-koe, heh tah-nee-fah! (Outro) (The heavy percussion suddenly stops) (Only the low drone and the sound of the rushing river remain) (Slow, fading chant) Tah-poo... Tah-poo... (A single, deep strike of a wooden log) (Silence)