Salem Māhia is a 17-year-old singer-songwriter from Hawke's Bay with a voice that stops people in their tracks. He's been singing since before he could talk, taught himself guitar, and has already been turning heads on the New Zealand music scene, including a viral TikTok moment that caught international attention.
In this conversation with Sela, Salem opens up about being bullied for his love of music in high school, what it meant to write "A Girl Named Abigail" - a tribute to an aunt he lost when he was just four years old - and why he chose to leave school early and enrol in Bible college. He also shares the one piece of advice Stan Walker gave him that he still carries, and what faith has looked like during some of the harder seasons of his life.
Check-out Salem's music here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4N5rbkQYSQwxnzt5MJ0klm
CHAPTERS
00:00 - Introduction: Meet Salem Māhia
00:23 - Growing Up in Hawke's Bay
01:52 - Why He Left School for Bible College
02:52 - Music Has Always Been in the Family
03:42 - Singing Before He Could Talk
04:38 - Navigating the Music Industry at 17
05:36 - What Stan Walker Said to Him
05:52 - Faith and the Harder Seasons
07:27 - The Meaning Behind "A Girl Named Abigail"
08:25 - Advice to Anyone Who's Been Counted Out
Faith 🙏🏽 Music 📻 Culture 💖
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