Her song features in Ryan Gosling’s hit movie, but Erima Maewa Kaihau was once a star too

The Conversation · 🇦🇺 public Australia · Mar 31, 2026 · 1022 words · By Austin Haynes

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What to know about Her song features in Ryan Gosling’s hit movie, but Erima Maewa Kaihau was once a star too

The article discusses the Māori song Pō Atarau featured in the film Project Hail Mary, highlighting its cultural significance and the overlooked legacy of composer Erima Maewa Kaihau. It traces her life, her role as a cultural bridge between Māori and Pākehā communities, and her contributions to both musical and diplomatic traditions.

Propaganda risk 0%

Claims checked 15

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Hollywood science fiction blockbuster Project Hail Mary, starring Ryan Gosling, opened to generally positive reviews and strong box office receipts, but in Aotearoa New Zealand it made news for another reason.

Why it matters

Local audiences were surprised, and seemingly delighted, by the movie’s soundtrack featuring a song in te reo Māori, alongside tracks by the Beatles and Harry Styles.

Common ground

The waiata (song) in question is a version of Pō Atarau, sung by the Turakina Māori Girls Choir, a bittersweet song of farewell.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Her song features in Ryan Gosling’s hit movie, but Erima Maewa Kaihau was once a star too?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Kaihau was a well-known composer and singer, one of the first Māori composers to have her songs published and gain recognition in the Pākehā world?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/her-song-features-in-ryan-goslings-hit-movie-but-eri…

analyticsAnalysis

Propaganda Score

confidence: 100%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 15 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

help Insufficient Evidence 7

schedule Pending 5

verified Verified By Reference 3

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Claim 1: “Kaihau was a well-known composer and singer, one of the first Māori composers to have her songs published and gain recognition in the Pākehā world.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No sources were found to confirm or refute the historical claims about Pū Atarau's origins. The query returned no relevant information.

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Claim 2: “Pō Atarau first appeared in the mid-1910s when Māori words were added to the tune of the Swiss Cradle Song composed by Clement Scott.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No sources were found to confirm or refute the historical claims about Pū Atarau's origins. The query returned no relevant information.

help

Claim 3: “Kaihau was a woman with considerable political mana and served as a cultural 'broker' fostering understanding between Māori and Pākehā.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No sources were found to confirm or refute the historical claims about Pū Atarau's origins. The query returned no relevant information.

verified

Claim 4: “Local audiences in Aotearoa New Zealand were surprised and delighted by the movie’s soundtrack featuring a song in te reo Māori.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia entries about New Zealand politics and military vessels contain no information about the film's soundtrack or Māori language song. The claim lacks direct source corroboration.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand (Māori: Rōpū Kākāriki o Aotearoa, Niu Tireni), commonly known as Green or the Greens, is a green political party in New Zealand. Like many green parties around …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_of_Aotearoa_New_Ze…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — HMNZS Aotearoa (Māori: [aɔˈtɛaɾɔa]), formerly the Maritime Sustainment Capability project, is an auxiliary ship of the Royal New Zealand Navy. Builder Hyundai Heavy Industries delivered the ship to th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMNZS_Aotearoa

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — New Zealand is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island (Te Ika-a-Māui) and the South Island (Te Waipounamu)—and over 600 smaller island…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand

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Claim 5: “Erima Maewa Kaihau (1879–1941) is the woman credited with the lyrics and adapted tune of Pō Atarau.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No sources were found to confirm or refute the historical claims about Pū Atarau's origins. The query returned no relevant information.

schedule

Claim 6: “Kaihau's songs feature cover illustrations of Māori women waving off European-style ships.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 7: “The song was performed in English as The Māori Farewell or Now is the Hour and recorded by artists including Fields, Bing Crosby, and Vera Lynn.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No sources were found to confirm or refute the historical claims about Pū Atarau's origins. The query returned no relevant information.

verified

Claim 8: “Hollywood science fiction blockbuster Project Hail Mary opened to generally positive reviews and strong box office receipts.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia entries only mention the novel's reception and film production details, but none explicitly confirm the film's box office performance or reviews. The claim combines elements not fully supported by the provided sources.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Project Hail Mary (Original Motion Picture Score) is the film score composed by Daniel Pemberton to the 2026 film Project Hail Mary directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and written by Drew God…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Hail_Mary_(soundtrack)

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Project Hail Mary is a 2021 hard science fiction novel by American writer Andy Weir. It centers on school teacher and former biologist Ryland Grace, who wakes up aboard a spacecraft, afflicted with a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Hail_Mary

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Project Hail Mary is a 2026 American science fiction film produced and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller and written by Drew Goddard, based on the 2021 novel by Andy Weir. It stars Ryan Gos…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Hail_Mary_(film)

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Claim 9: “Kaihau performed her songs for Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova in 1926.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No sources were found to confirm or refute the historical claims about Pū Atarau's origins. The query returned no relevant information.

schedule

Claim 10: “Becky Manawatu described Kaihau's song Akoako o te Rangi as 'strange and beautiful' in her 2019 novel Auē.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 11: “Kaihau composed and performed songs for the wives of successive governors-general between 1930 and 1931.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 12: “Kaihau took King Mahuta to watch a performance of The Gondoliers in 1900.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 13: “British actress Gracie Fields heard the song sung at the home of tourist guide Rangitīaria Dennan in Rotorua in the 1940s.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No sources were found to confirm or refute the historical claims about Pū Atarau's origins. The query returned no relevant information.

schedule

Claim 14: “Kaihau welcomed the Duke and Duchess of York with her song The Huia in 1927.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 15: “The waiata in question is a version of Pō Atarau, sung by the Turakina Māori Girls Choir.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia references a traditional Māori song 'E Papa Waiari' and unrelated content, but no source connects this to the Turakina Māori Girls Choir or Pū Atarau. The claim is not substantiated.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — "E Papa Waiari" (English: "Oh, Uncle Waiari"), also known as "E Papa Wairangi" is a traditional Māori song, often used in tītī tōrea, a type of whakaraka (skill and dexterity game) played by passing …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_Papa_Waiari

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Weird Faith is the sixth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Madi Diaz, released on February 9, 2024, by Anti-. The album followed her fifth studio album, History of a Feeling, and tours wi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weird_Faith

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.