Gold-selling reggae artiste, Ruia, recently came to Jamaica to film a Bob Marley documentary for the Mäori of New Zealand.

It serves as the latest example of reggae's global reach beyond the major metropoles of New York, London and Tokyo. The documentary will air in New Zealand early next year in Ruia's native Mäori language.

The documentary's translated title is A Gift of Thank You to Bob Marley and should air early 2009. It centres on the role reggae played in reigniting pride in the Mäori people.

"Bob Marley's music came at a very important time and to tell you the truth Bob Marley woke me up, along with the messages of Marcus Garvey and Rastafari. There are similarities between our prophets and your culture. ..... And to tell you the truth, Rastafari Reggae Jamaica has influenced an initiation of a renaissance in our country....of our people are no longer lying down anymore, and being submissive. We now want to get up and challenge things," said Ruia earlier this month at Bookophila cafe in Kingston.

Ruia's music is known in New Zealand, Australia throughout the South Pacific up to Hawaii. His most popular song What's the Time Mr Wolf achieved gold sales status and was featured in the movie Once Were Warriors.

At Bookophila he performed that particular song other originals and Bob Marley covers to a group of 20 patrons. Ruia vocals are solid, there is no scalar gymnastics to embellish his melodies. His tone is deep and folksy which complements his guitar playing. In between songs he spoke about the historical struggles of his people.

Mäori culture is famous for its tribal Polynesian tattoo art - sort of like Mike Tyson's tattoo.

Mäori are the original inhabitants of the New Zealand, they came before the Europeans, but have been colonised by the Europeans. "Today we own about seven per cent of the land," said Ruia whilst being filmed by his documentary crew.
Some years ago Ruia's record label got the rights to translate 20 Marley songs into Mäori. He delivered a personal copy to the Bob Marley Museum.

"We got to meet Stephanie Marley and gifted over the CDs with a covenant between our people and the Marley nation and the Jamaican people, and we also a carved a treasure box that we gifted to her. She has allowed it to be displayed in the Marley Museum."

Whilst Splash interviewed Ruia, he spoke English and Jamaican slang. Then switched again upon seeing a cute Japanese girl browsing for books. "Yeah man wan' ti want ti can' get it ....Sumimasen, nihonjin des ka (are you japanese?)."

Ruia speaks six languages Bali, Japanese, most of the Polynesians languages, English and Jamaican patios. "But I want to learn more including the European languages because travelling around the world it helps to know different languages. They are warmer and more open."

Ruia wants to broaden a cultural exchange of artistes between both countries.

"Part of the reason we come here to make connections with different artistes. We were in Tuff Gong the other day, and we met about six artists and four or five producers. And we met two other producers. So we are looking at collaborations," he said.

Jamaica is a sort of Mecca for Reggae and culture, he said: "Kiwi people love Reggae and love Jamaica, because of Bob Marley, Toot and the Maytals, Burning Spear, the Abyssinians all of them down to Buju Banton. So many of our people see Jamaica as a holy place and dream of coming here."

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