Rob Ruha
{{Use New Zealand English|date=January 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Rob Ruha
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Robert Ruha
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1980}}
| birth_place = Wharekahika, Gisborne District
| genre = {{flatlist|
}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter|musician|music director}}
| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|bass}}
| years_active = 2011–present
| label = InDigiNation Music
| associated_acts = Maisey Rika, Ka Hao, Ria Hall
| website =
}}
Rob Ruha (born 1980), is a New Zealand musician from Wharekahika, Gisborne District. He debuted as a solo musician in 2013, and is known for his singles sung in te Reo Māori, including "Kalega" (2017), "Ka Mānu" (2019), "35" with Ka Hao (2021), and "Taera" (2021). Ruha worked as the music director for the Māori language version of the Walt Disney Pictures films Moana and The Lion King.
Biography
Ruha grew up in Wharekahika, Gisborne District.{{cite web|url=https://nzmusician.co.nz/features/rob-ruha-that%C2%92s-us/ |title=Rob Ruha: That's Us |first=Tama |last=Waipara |publisher=NZ Musician |date=December 2014 |access-date=14 December 2021}} He is of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui and Ngāti Porou descent,{{cite web|url=https://www.thearts.co.nz/artists/rob-ruha |title=Rob Ruha's Biography |publisher=The Arts Foundation |accessdate=14 December 2021}} and also has Ngāti Rangiteaorere and Tūhourangi ancestry.{{cite news|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/69432647/15-minutes-with-rob-ruha |title=15 minutes with... Rob Ruha |first=Grant |last=Smithies |website=Stuff |date=16 June 2015 |access-date=14 December 2021}} He grew up performing kapa haka, and as a teenager, Ruha moved to Porirua, Wellington, and was inspired to become a musician while attending Mana College.{{cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/300493224/rob-ruha-the-man-who-helped-tairwhiti-take-over-tiktok |title=Rob Ruha: The man who helped Tairāwhiti take over TikTok |first=Anton |last=Blank|website=Stuff|date=16 January 2022 |accessdate=19 April 2022}} Ruha returned to Gisborne to complete high school, and at 17, won the Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Festival (Te Matatini) award for Best Waiata Tira as a part of the Waihīrere Māori Club. In the year 2000, Ruha led his first kapa haka group, Tūranga Wahine Tūranga Tāne, who performed at Te Matatini, and by the next year began judging the competition.
In 2004, Ruha moved to Hawaii to manage the Aotearoa section of the Polynesian Cultural Center. In 2007, Ruha graduated with a master's degree in Mātauranga Māori.{{cite web |first1=Kahu |last1=Kutia |title=Rob Ruha |url=https://www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/rob-ruha |website=Audio Culture Iwi Waiata |accessdate=19 April 2022 |date=12 September 2021}}
One of Ruha's first releases was the song "Hotuhotu", which he recorded with Ria Hall, which became one of the most played songs in te reo Māori on New Zealand radios in 2011. During a 2012 trip to Hawaii to judge a kapa haka competition, Ruha performed as a solo musician for the first time. In 2013, he began working as a solo musician after receiving mentorship and guidance by musician Maisey Rika, releasing his solo debut single "Pōnga Rā" on Waitangi Day 2014. His debut extended play Tiki Tapu was recorded at a home studio in Hamurana on the shores of Lake Rotorua, and produced alongside Michael Barker of Split Enz. His debut album Pūmau followed shortly afterwards in 2015.
In 2016, Ruha worked as a music consultant and performer for the soundtrack of the Lee Tamahori-directed film Mahana, and in 2017 was the musical director for the Te Reo Māori translation of the Walt Disney Pictures film Moana. Ruha's second album Survivance, a soul and R&B collaboration with the Witch Dr., was led by the single "Kalega". The song's title is a Te Tai Rāwhiti Māori slang term meaning "too much".
In January 2020, Ruha produced released a live album of gospel waiata in te Reo, sung supergroup Mōhau.{{Cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nat-music/audio/2018727689/top-maori-artists-lift-spirits-with-new-visual-album-m-hau |title='Top Māori artists lift spirits with new visual album Mōhau |date=19 December 2019 |publisher=RNZ |access-date=3 October 2021}} The album won the Te Māngai Pāho Mana Reo Award and the Best Worship Artist Te Kaipuoro Kairangi Toa award at the 2020 Aotearoa Music Awards.{{Cite web |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/the-industry-is-just-catching-up-rob-ruha-on-te-reo-in-mainstream-music-industry/EHFSQQQVK4P365SYDBAVJQTOLU/ |title='The industry is just catching up' - Rob Ruha on te reo in mainstream music industry |first=Jessica |last=Tyson |date=17 November 2020 |publisher=The New Zealand Herald |access-date=3 October 2021}} In 2021, the Ruha-produced Te Tai Rāwhiti choir Ka Hao released their debut single "35", which became a hit single in New Zealand, gaining popularity on TikTok during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week).{{cite news |url=https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2021/09/a-truly-wonderful-feeling-te-reo-m-ori-music-dominates-nz-s-official-charts.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211001080204/https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/entertainment/2021/09/a-truly-wonderful-feeling-te-reo-m-ori-music-dominates-nz-s-official-charts.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=1 October 2021 |first1=Monika |last1=Barton |title='A truly wonderful feeling': Te Reo Māori music dominates NZ's official charts |access-date=3 October 2021 |work=Newshub |date=23 September 2021}} Later that year, Ruha released his third studio album, entitled Preservation of Scenery.{{cite web|url=https://www.muzic.net.nz/artists/news/11841/rob-ruha-announces-new-album-preservation-of-scenery |title=Rob Ruha Announces New Album 'Preservation Of Scenery'|website=muzic.net.nz|date=24 September 2021|accessdate=3 October 2021}} "35" and "Taera", a single from Preservation of Scenery, were two of the top 10 most commercially successful songs sung in Te Reo Māori for 2021.{{cite web|url=https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/tereosingles?chart=5267 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220124051356/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/tereosingles?chart=5267 |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 January 2022 |title=Te Reo Māori O Te Rārangi 10 O Runga: End of Year Charts 2021|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|access-date=27 January 2022}}
In 2022, Ruha worked as the co-musical director of The Lion King Reo Māori (2022), alongside Pere Wihongi.{{cite news |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/469595/lion-king-reo-maori-premiere-a-dream-come-true |title=Lion King Reo Māori premiere: 'A dream come true' |access-date=22 June 2022 |work=Radio New Zealand |date=22 June 2022}}
Personal life
Ruha is married to music manager Cilla Ruha, who he met at high school. Together they have four children. His entire family speaks te reo Māori as their first language.{{cite magazine|url=https://au.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/kiwi-artists-are-naturalising-maori-culture-and-language-through-music-28400/|title=The hard-won future of New Zealand's native language is in good hands, and music is at the forefront. |first=Poppy |last=Reid |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=22 October 2021 |accessdate=17 January 2022}} He lives at Te Kaha in the Bay of Plenty.
Ruha practices raranga (traditional weaving) and painting, which he learnt from his grandmothers at the age of seven.
Discography
=Studio albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Album details ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions |
|---|
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NZ {{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Rob+Ruha|title= Discography ROB RUHA|publisher=Recorded Music NZ. Hung Medien|accessdate=14 December 2021}} ! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NZ
|
| scope="row"| Pūmau
|
| — || 17 |
| scope="row"| Survivance {{small|(Rob Ruha and the Witch Dr.)}} |
| — || 10 |
| scope="row"| Preservation of Scenery
|
| 39 || 12 |
| colspan="8" style="font-size:85%;"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
=Extended plays=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:12em;"| Title
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Album details ! scope="col" colspan="1"| Peak chart positions |
|---|
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NZ Artist |
| scope="row"| Tiki Tapu
|
| `5 |
=Singles=
==As lead artist==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:16em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:1em;"| Year ! scope="col" colspan="2"| Peak chart positions ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:10em;"| Album |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NZ Hot Peak positions for Rob Ruha's singles on the NZ Hot singles chart:
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| NZ
|
|---|
| scope="row"| "Hotuhotu" {{small|(Robert Ruha & Ria Hall)}} | 2011 | — || — | Mīharo: He Kohikohinga Waiata Māori |
| scope="row"| "Pōnga Rā"
| rowspan="2"|2014 | — || 12 | rowspan="2"|Tiki Tapu |
| scope="row"| "Tiki Tapu"
| — || 8 |
| scope="row"| "Waiaroha"{{cite news|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nat-music/audio/201764792/rob-ruha-and-maisey-rika |title=Rob Ruha and Maisey Rika |website=RNZ |date=1 August 2015 |access-date=14 December 2021}} {{small|(featuring Maisey Rika)}} | 2015 | — || 15 | rowspan="2"|Pūmau |
| scope="row"| "Kariri"{{cite news|url=https://www.teaomaori.news/i-wrote-kariri-reinvigorate-interest-history--rob-ruha |title=I wrote Kariri to reinvigorate interest in history – Rob Ruha |first1=Taroi |last1=Black |date=29 September 2016 |work=Te Ao: Māori News |access-date=14 December 2021}} {{small|(featuring Tiki Taane)}} | 2016 | — || — |
| scope="row"| "Kalega"{{cite news|url=https://www.mmf.co.nz/news-pages/2017/10/19/rob-ruha-and-the-witch-dr-welcome-summer-with-new-single-kalega |title=Rob Ruha and the Witch Dr. Welcome Summer with New Single 'Kalega' |publisher=New Zealand Music Commission |date=19 October 2017 |access-date=14 December 2021}} {{small|(Rob Ruha and the Witch Dr.)}} | 2017 | — || — | Survivance |
| scope="row"| "Taka Rawa"{{cite news|url=https://www.muzic.net.nz/artists/news/11897/rob-ruha-releases-new-album-preservation-of-scenery-lead-single-taera |title=Rob Ruha Announces New Album 'Preservation Of Scenery' |website=Muzic.net.nz |date=24 September 2021 |access-date=14 December 2021}} {{small|(featuring Ka Hao)}} | rowspan="2"|2021 | — || —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|"Taka Rawa" did not enter the New Zealand artists top 20 chart, but peaked at number 7 on the Hot 20 NZ Artists Singles Chart.{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/hot-aotearoa-singles/2021-10-08 |title=Hot 20 NZ Singles |publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=9 October 2021|access-date=9 October 2021}}}} | rowspan="3"|Preservation of Scenery |
| scope="row"| "Taera"
| 11 || —{{efn|group=upper-alpha|"Taera" did not enter the New Zealand artists top 20 chart, but peaked at number 2 on the Hot 20 NZ Artists Singles Chart.{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/hot-aotearoa-singles/2021-10-15|title=Hot 20 NZ Singles Chart|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|date=18 October 2021|access-date=17 January 2022}}}} |
| scope="row"| "That's Where I'll Be"{{cite news|url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/music101/audio/2018842877/rob-ruha-on-his-new-single-thats-where-i-ll-be |title=Rob Ruha on his new single "Thats where I'll Be" |website=Radio New Zealand |date=21 May 2022 |access-date=28 May 2022}}
| rowspan="2"| 2022 | 4 || 19 |
| scope="row"| "Ka Taria" {{small|(Rob Ruha and Drax Project)}} | 17 || 20 | {{n/a|Non-album single}} |
| colspan="8" style="font-size:85%;"| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart. |
==As featured artist==
Notes
{{notelist-ua}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruha, Rob}}
Category:21st-century New Zealand male singers
Category:Māori-language singers
Category:New Zealand male singer-songwriters
Category:New Zealand singer-songwriters
Category:New Zealand record producers
Category:People educated at Mana College
Category:People from Hicks Bay
Category:Ngāti Rangiteaorere people