“My language is me,” New Zealand artist Rob Ruha tells Apple Music. “It is full of memory, sacredness, and energy that connects me to everything in the universe. I love how those things move me when I sing.” Released to coincide with Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week)—an annual national celebration honoring New Zealand’s Indigeous language and culture—the Wharekahika-born singer-songwriter has rerecorded three of his own songs alongside a classic Bob Marley cover. Speaking about how he reimagined his tracks for the Home Session, he explains: “I wanted to invite the listener into the grand halls of my marae: my home. For my people, the marae is the hub for the most diverse music you will hear, and we wanted to share that experience in the mix, the placement, the performances, and even production. To that end, Rory Noble (producer) built a custom reverb out of the resonance from the carved ancestral house at Te Taua Moana Marae. The entire listening experience is imbued with Māori culture.” Below, Ruha talks through each track on his Home Session EP. “So Much Trouble in the World” “Released by the great Bob Marley in 1979, this song is prophetic and is still relevant in our time. It reflects the need for poets and artists to exist and the power of conscious music to highlight the need for social change to destructive behaviors.” “Taera” “This song defines Māori swag. It celebrates diversity and encourages compassion and acceptance as a path towards unity.” “Alamein” “This lament follows the Māori tradition of celebrating loved ones and working through loss by singing it out.” “That’s Where I’ll Be” “The lyrics in this song express the reality of day-to-day life for me. Māoritanga, moko, and Māori language and customs are natural parts of life, and I’m celebrating the fact that Aotearoa is growing a magnetism for this reality as the nationally accepted norm.”