“Ko te reo Māori, he matapihi ki te ao Māori” goes the Māori whakatauki(proverb) that has guided Aotearoa singer/songwriter Marlon Williams’(KāiTahu, Ngāi Tai) fourth solo album, Te Whare Tīwekaweka. Translated, it means “The Māori language is a window to the Māori world” and expressesMarlon’s motivation behind his first te reo Māori 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 newyet also connects me to my tīpuna [ancestors] and my whenua [land, home]. ”Connection lies at the heart of Te Whare Tīwekaweka, 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 Whānau-ā-Apanui), the He Waka Kōtuia 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 Māori music. The result is a collection at once contemporary and timeless