Corrella is an eight-member New Zealand

roots reggae Roots reggae is a subgenre of reggae that deals with the everyday lives and aspirations of Ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and those in the African Diaspora, including the spiritual side of Rastafari, black liberation, revolution and the ho ...

band. Formed in 2017 by members of the

Royal New Zealand Navy The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN; ) is the maritime arm of the New Zealand Defence Force. The fleet currently consists of eight ships. The Navy had its origins in the Naval Defence Act 1913, and the subsequent acquisition of the cruiser , whi ...

in the North Shore,

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

, suburb of Belmont, the group came to prominence in New Zealand in 2023 with the single "Blue Eyed Māori". Lead singer Pipiwharauroa Campbell grew up speaking

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

as his first language, and the band has released two songs in te reo Māori, "Raumati" (2022) and "Ko Au (I Am Me)" (2023).

Biography

Corrella was formed in 2017 in Belmont on the North Shore of

, among members of the

serving at the

Devonport Naval Base Devonport Naval Base is the home of the Royal New Zealand Navy, located at Devonport, New Zealand on Auckland's North Shore, New Zealand, North Shore. It is currently the only base of the navy that operates ships, and has been in use as a n ...

. The band's name is a reference to the navy personnel housing on Corrella Road in Belmont where the band members practised. The group is predominantly

, with some members who are Pasifika and . The original line-up featured guitarist Moresby Kainuku, who was also involved with the Navy. The group debuted in 2020 with the single "Summertime in Aotearoa". Originally planning to release their debut album in the same year, the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

delayed these plans, and instead the group released their debut

extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

, ''Corrella EP'', in 2021. In 2023, the band released the song "Ko Au (I Am Me)", the group's second song recorded in

. The song was written by lead singer Pipiwharauroa Campbell about his own experiences with rediscovering pride in his cultural identity. The song topped the te reo Māori singles chart in New Zealand. Corrella released their debut album '' Road from 26'' in May 2023. The song "Blue Eyed Māori" became a

sleeper hit In the entertainment industry, a sleeper hit refers to a film, television series, music release, video game or other entertainment product that was initially unsuccessful on release, but eventually became a surprise success. A sleeper hit may have ...

in New Zealand, reaching number one on the New Zealand artists' singles chart, and became one of the most aired and streamed songs in New Zealand for 2023.

Artistry

The band's songs are primarily written by Pipiwharauroa Campbell and Te Naawe Tupe. Many of their songs are inspired by their experiences as Navy personnel on overseas tours.

Personal lives

Band members Ngawaiwera and Pipiwharauroa Campbell are siblings, who were raised in

Tauranga Tauranga (, Māori language for "resting place," or "safe anchorage") is a coastal city in the Bay of Plenty Region and the List of cities in New Zealand, fifth-most populous city of New Zealand, with an urban population of or roughly 3% of t ...

speaking Māori as their first language, learning English at school. The Campbells' cousin is singer

Stan Walker Stan Walker (born 23 October 1990) is an Australian New Zealand singer, actor, and television personality. In 2009, Walker was the winner of the seventh season of ''Australian Idol''. He subsequently signed a recording contract with Sony Mus ...

, who was their next-door neighbour growing up. Pipiwharauroa Campbell worked at Te Taua Moana Marae at the Devonport Naval Base, and currently is a cultural advisor. Drummer Tom "Ulu" Scrase is originally from Wellington, while Te Naawe Tupe is from

Whakatāne Whakatāne ( , ) is a town located in the Bay of Plenty Region, Bay of Plenty Region in the North Island of New Zealand, east of Tauranga and northeast of Rotorua. The town is situated at the mouth of the Whakatāne River. The Whakatāne Dis ...

. Rebekah Brady, originally from

Papakura Papakura is a suburb of South Auckland, in northern New Zealand. It is located on the shores of the Pahurehure Inlet, approximately south of the Auckland CBD, Auckland City Centre. It is under the authority of the Auckland Council. The ar ...

, worked as a drama and dance teacher at Diocesan School for Girls, ACG Strathallan, and managed performing arts programmes at

Wellington Region Greater Wellington, also known as the Wellington Region (Māori language, Māori: ''Te Upoko o te Ika''), is the southernmost regions of New Zealand, region of the North Island of New Zealand. The local government region covers an area of , and ...

schools Tawa Intermediate School and

Hutt Intermediate School Hutt Intermediate School (HIS) is a state intermediate school located in Lower Hutt, New Zealand. The school was founded in 1948, and currently has a total number of 685 students and a teaching staff of 45. The principal, until the end of 2006 ...

. Taulu Schuster is a church minister in

South Auckland South Auckland ( or ) is one of the major geographical regions of Auckland, the largest city in New Zealand. The area is south of the Auckland isthmus, and on the eastern shores of the Manukau Harbour. The area has been populated by Tāmaki M� ...

Band members

*Rebekah Brady (

Te Arawa Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori people, Māori iwi and hapū (tribes and sub-tribes) of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the ''Arawa (canoe), Arawa'' migration canoe (''waka''). The tribes are based in the Rotorua and Bay of Plent ...

Ngāpuhi Ngāpuhi (also known as Ngāpuhi-Nui-Tonu or Ngā Puhi) is a Māori iwi associated with the Northland regions of New Zealand centred in the Hokianga, the Bay of Islands, and Whangārei. According to the 2023 New Zealand census, the estimate ...

) – vocalist *Ngawaiwera Campbell (

Ngāi Te Rangi Ngāi Te Rangi or Ngāiterangi is a Māori iwi, based in Tauranga, New Zealand. Its rohe (tribal area) extends to Mayor Island / Tūhua and Bowentown in the north, to the Kaimai Range in the west, south of Te Puke and to Maketu in the east. ...

, Ngāti He,

Ngāti Pūkenga Ngāti Pūkenga is a Māori iwi centred in Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand. Its rohe (tribal area) extends to Mayor Island / Tuhua and Waihi in the north, to the Kaimai Range in the west, south of Te Puke and to Maketu in ...

) – vocalist *Pipiwharauroa Campbell (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti He, Ngāti Pūkenga) – lead singer *Joshua Faletutulu – lead guitarist *Taula Schuster ( Samoan,

Niue Niue is a self-governing island country in free association with New Zealand. It is situated in the South Pacific Ocean and is part of Polynesia, and predominantly inhabited by Polynesians. One of the world's largest coral islands, Niue is c ...

an) – piano, keyboard *Tom "Ulu" Scrase – drummer and

taonga pūoro Taonga pūoro are the traditional musical instruments of the Māori people of New Zealand. The instruments previously fulfilled many functions within Māori society including a call to arms, dawning of the new day, communications with the gods ...

performer *Te Naawe Tupe (

Ngāi Tūhoe Ngāi Tūhoe (), often known simply as Tūhoe, is a Māori people, Māori iwi (tribe) of New Zealand. It takes its name from an ancestral figure, Tūhoe-pōtiki. ''Tūhoe'' is a Māori-language word meaning 'steep' or 'high noon'. Tūhoe people a ...

) – rhythm guitarist, hype man

Discography

Studio albums

Extended plays

Singles

Other charted songs

Notes

References

{{Reflist 2017 establishments in New Zealand Royal New Zealand Navy personnel Māori-language singers Musical groups established in 2017 Musical groups from Auckland New Zealand Māori musical groups New Zealand musical groups New Zealand reggae musical groups Pacific reggae