New Music & Video Release - Aotearoa pop-R&B duo Rā Charmian release heartfelt single 'Kia Puāwai' - 3rd March 2026
Credit - Robin Smith and Julia Francino
Artist Name - Rā Charmian
Release Name - Kia Puāwai
Release Date - 3rd April 2026
Genre - Pop Music, R&B, Easy Listening
Label - Rā Charmian
Hot off the heels of a busy summer, performing at the TSB Festival of Lights and Music In Parks Festival, Tāmaki Makaurau duo Rā Charmian have released their first music of 2026 - the uplifting single and video ‘Kia Puāwai’.
Kia Puāwai’ spreads a gentle warmth through your body, with a heartfelt, sincere message of reconnecting with Māori roots working to create a moment of magic in its easy-listening, RnB infused sound.
As vocalist Rā Toia-Booth explains, “the song came about during a time when I was reconnecting more deeply with my Māori roots and te reo Māori. I’m not fully fluent, but singing has always been one of the ways I’ve felt most connected to the language. It’s something that has been lost for many in previous generations, so writing and singing in Māori has become a meaningful way to reconnect with that part of my identity.”
Born from a simple acoustic demo of producer Hayden Booth’s, Rā was inspired to develop the song based on the phrase Kia Puāwai; which speaks of blossoming or flourishing. “As the writing developed, the song became connected to the experience of feeling lost and searching for a connection to my whakapapa, but also nurturing a new growing connection.”
For the duo, ‘Kia Puāwai’ reflects a stage in Rā and Hayden’s journey where they’re becoming much more intentional in their artist identity. Expanding their tight-knit unit for the recording of this NZ On Air funded single, Rā Charmian also bought in two of Aotearoa’s premiere musicians for the recording; Joe Kaptein on keys (Princess Chelsea, Six60) and Elijah Whyte on drums (Nathan Haines, Big Horns).
The beautiful Northland sets the scene for the music video, with viewers getting to witness some incredibly special moments of Rā visiting her marae (Takahiwai), as well as places her family lived over many generations - including Okaihau, Waimate North and the Hokianga.
“The video follows my journey of connecting the past to the present, through shared stories and knowledge,” says Rā. “Towards the end of the video, we travel to the present, following Hayden and I as Rā Charmian, performing waiata and sharing these stories around Aotearoa over the summer.”
Look no further for a moment of respite, pause, reflection and emotional warmth. ‘Kia Puāwai’ is out now.