Jordyn with a Why


Jordyn Fuala'au Awatea Rapana, better known as Jordyn with a Why, is a R&B and neo-soul singer-songwriter from Raglan, New Zealand.
She's been described as "Aotearoa's Indigenous sweetie lover girl" by CubaDupa, and her "ethereal R&B songs" have been praised by Rolling Stone.
Outside of her music career, Rapana teaches full immersion te reo Māori at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

Early life

Rapana was born in 1992 or 1993 and raised in South Auckland. Her father was a pastor, and she grew up singing in church.
Rapana is of Māori and Samoan ancestry; her father is Māori from Tainui a Whiro, and her mother is Samoan from Mulifanua Lalovi, Falelatai, and Vaimoso.

Career

She released her debut single, "Te Ao Mārama", in March 2021. She said she had "no intent" for a career in music, and had written the track as a way to help her personally process her experience of a miscarriage.
"Te Ao Mārama" was followed by the release of her second single, "Brown Melodies", in 2022.
Her third single, 2023's "Raumati", was her first in te reo Māori. It came after Rapana, who grew up without speaking Māori, had spent the last five years immersing herself in the language, including using it as her second son's first language. "Ruamati" would go on to earn Rapana a nomination for the APRA Maioha Award at the 2023 [APRA Silver Scroll Awards|2023 Silver Scroll]s, and placed 16th in the year-end New Zealand [top 50 singles of 2024#Top 20 singles sung in te reo Māori|Top 20 Te Reo Māori Singles chart].
Her debut album Hibiscus Moon, Love & Justice was released in 2024, and was ranked 28th best New Zealand album of the year by Rolling Stone Australia / New Zealand. The album went on to earn Rapana nominations for the Aotearoa [Music Award for Best Māori Artist|Best Māori Artist], Mana Reo, and People's Choice awards at the 2025 [Aotearoa Music Awards], and went on to win the Recorded Music NZ Best Pacific Music Album at the 2025 Pacific Music Awards.

Personal life

Rapana performs in both English and te reo Māori, and has spoken in favour of having more reo Māori music in mainstream spaces. She learnt te reo Māori in 2019 by taking a year-long full immersion course at Te Wānanga Takiura; she would go on to teach full immersion language classes at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
Rapana lives in Auckland with her husband and two sons.

Discography

Studio albums

  • ''Hibiscus Moon, Love & Justice''