Pere Wihongi Explained

Birth Place:Herekino, New Zealand
Current Member Of:Maimoa
Te Kākano

Pere Te Ruru o te Ramana Wihongi (born), sometimes known mononymously as PERE, is a New Zealand musician, voice actor, choreographer, and kapa haka performer. She is part of the award-winning music groups Maimoa and Te Kākano.

Early life

Wihongi was born and raised in Herekino. The family moved to Auckland when Wihongi was 9, and she began attending the Te Kura Kaupapa Māori ā Rohe o Māngere immersion school. While there she competed in and won the Ngā Manu Kōrero speech competition. She then attended South Seas Film & Television School to pursue a career in television.[1]

Career

Television

Wihongi's first job was as a production assistant, but eventually she worked her way up to be a reporter on news and current affairs shows such as Te Karere and Marae, and presenting the children's show Pūkana. In 2019, Wihongi started doing music and voice acting for the children's cartoon Pipi Mā.[1] [2] In 2021, Wihongi was a judge on the talent show 5 Minutes Of Fame.[3]

Music

In 2015, Wihongi formed the music group Pūkana and Whānau with fellow Pūkana presenters. They changed their name to Maimoa in 2017. Maimoa appeared on the reality television shows Voices of Our Future and Waiata Nation, which documented the creation of their second single "Wairua" and their debut album Rongomaiwhiti respectively.[4] [5] Wihongi formed another music group, Te Kākano, in 2018.

Wihongi had her solo debut in 2019 with the single "High on Ingoingo".[6] She won Best Māori Male Solo Artist at that year's Waiata Māori Music Awards, alongside winning Best Traditional Album and Best Māori Pop Album for Te Kākano's self-titled debut album.[7]

Film

In 2022, Wihongi joined the production company Matewa Media as the co-musical director alongside Rob Ruha for the Māori dub of the 1994 Disney film The Lion King.[8] In addition to this role, she also provided the voice of Olaf in the dub of Frozen.[9]

Kapa haka

Wihongi has competed in kapa haka competition Te Matatini since she was 15. She founded the kapa haka group Angitu.[1] At Te Matatini 2023, Angitu broke gender norms by having Wihongi and Tuhoe Tamaiparea perform in the poi line.[10]

Personal life

Wihongi identifies as takatāpui and has used both masculine and feminine pronouns but states in her social media profiles the she/her are her preferred pronouns.[11] [12] Her iwi are Te Rarawa, Ngāti Kurī, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Rehua and Ngāti Wai.[1]

Discography

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
NZ
Hot

[14]
NZ
Hot
Artist

[15]
"High on Ingoingo"[16] 201919 1rowspan="2"
"Te Haa o Aotearoa"[17]
"E Raka e"[18]
2020Rongomaiwhiti
"Iarere Āio"[19]
202240 4
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Singles as featured artist

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
NZ
Artist

[20]
NZ
Hot

NZ
Hot
Artist

"Te Matatini Ki Te Ao"[21] [22]
201831 8rowspan="4"
"Pakipaki Mai"[23]
201924 4
"Stay"[24]
202016 10 1
"Minamina"[25]
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Promotional singles

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
NZ
Hot
Artist

"Mahuru"[26] 20209
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Other charted songs

TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
NZ
Artist

NZ
Hot

NZ
Hot
Artist

"Tōrea"
201820 27 13Te Kākano
"Kia Tika Rā"
13
"Raumati"201914
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart.

Guest appearances

TitleYearOther artistsAlbum
"He Rā Hou Tēnai"2017Awatea WihongiPao Pao Pao, Vol. 1
"Pao Pao Pao"Te Whānau Pao Pao Pao, Makaira Berry, Mareikura Nathan, Awarea Wihongi
"Tū Mai"2018Makaira Berry, Hamiora Tuari, Mere Arihi Pipi-TakokoTe Kākano
"Raumati"
"Hikaia Te Ahikōmau"Makaira Berry
"Tōrea"Makaira Berry, Hamiora Tuari
"Kia Tika Rā"Makaira Berry
"Te Puea"Makaira Berry, Mere Arihi Pipi-Takoko, Hamiora Tuari
"Matike Maranga"2019Makaira Berry, Puawai TaiapaTākaro Tribe
"Ahakamana"Makaira Berry, Puawai Taiapa

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pere Wihongi is carving his own path for the 'Olympics of kapa haka' . 5 February 2023 . Stuff . Siena . Yates.
  2. Web site: Pipi Mā launches season two at Ihumātao . 7 August 2019 . Te Ao Māori News . Mare . Haimona-Riki.
  3. Web site: Pere Wihongi and Bella Kalolo are judges on Māori TV's new talent show 5 Minutes Of Fame . 6 May 2021 . Stuff . Sarah . Nealon.
  4. Web site: ‘Wairua’ video nominated for Māori music award . 1 August 2017 . Te Ao Māori News.
  5. Web site: Maimoa: Collective Influence . Junelle . Kunin . December 2020 . NZ Musician.
  6. Web site: PERE ‘HIGH ON INGOINGO’ . 7 June 2019 . Music Managers Forum Aotearoa.
  7. Web site: Waiata Māori Music Award winners announced . 13 September 2019 . Creative Waikato.
  8. Web site: The Lion King Reo Māori: Sharyn And Jayden Chat With Pere Wihongi About Her Role In The New Film . 6 July 2022 . The Edge.
  9. Web site: Frozen Te Reo Māori cast revealed . 12 September 2022 . Te Ao Māori News . James . Perry.
  10. Web site: Te Matatini: Leaders inspire on day 2, gender roles challenged . 23 February 2023 . 1 News.
  11. Web site: pere.yonce . 2024-06-13 . TikTok.
  12. Web site: Pere Wihongi . 2024-06-13 . SOUNZ.
  13. Web site: PERE KIRIHIMETE - EP . . 27 June 2022.
  14. Peak positions for Pere's singles on the NZ hot singles chart:
  15. Peak positions for Seth Haapu's singles on the NZ artist hot singles chart:
  16. News: PERE - High on Ingoingo . Yadana . Saw . . 6 July 2019 . 27 June 2022.
  17. Web site: Te Haa o Aotearoa - Single . . 27 June 2022.
  18. Web site: New show highlights New Zealand artists and their music production journeys . Liam . Ratana . . 29 April 2020 . 27 June 2022.
  19. News: Anti-Bulling ambassador Pere Wihongi's new waiata . Grady . Connell . Today FM . 20 May 2022 . 27 June 2022.
  20. Peak positions for Pere's singles on the NZ Artist singles chart:
  21. News: From Te Matatini to the world . 4 December 2018 . Te Ao: Māori News . 17 January 2022.
  22. Web site: Te Matatini Ki Te Ao - Single . . 27 June 2022.
  23. News: Meet the cousins taking the internet by storm with their Te Reo Māori music videos . . . 18 September 2020 . 27 June 2022.
  24. News: Anna Coddington, Stan Walker and other Kiwi artists release coronavirus lockdown charity single, Stay . Emily . Brookes . Stuff . 15 April 2020 . 14 December 2021.
  25. News: VIDEO PREMIERE: Valkyrie 'Minamina' . Liam . Ratana . . 21 October 2020 . 27 June 2022.
  26. Web site: Pere Wihongi – Mahuru . . 28 September 2020 . 27 June 2022.