SZA Got “Kirituhi” Tattoos to Honor Her Family While in New Zealand — See Photos

Astrida Valigorsky

If SZA's music repertoire has proven anything, it's how deftly she can weave stories in song — but perhaps her greatest stories of all are told in her tattoos. While backstage at her own show last October, the star debuted a Morse code "SOS" tattoo, and her latest ink arrived while on tour in Auckland, New Zealand.

On April 16, 2024, SZA posted a photo of her new kirituhi tattoo to her Instagram stories, tagging Māori tattoo artist Leroy Roberts, the owner of Maia Ink, who also shared it to his IG Stories.

"One side represents my mother's lineage, the other my father's," SZA wrote in the slide while sharing her new ink. Kirituhi, which literally means "marking the skin," is used specifically for people who aren't Māori and shouldn't be confused with tā moko.

Both tā moko and kirituhi can hold significance to the wearer in reflecting their genealogy and journey through life. However, tā moko are tattoos worn only by Māori, including the moko kauae chin markings for women and facial mataora for men. It's believed that moko is always there beneath the skin; it just takes an artist to reveal it to the world.

Related: Face Tattoos Carry Cultural Significance, Here’s How New Generations Are Continuing the Tradition Despite Stigmas

Aside from getting her kirituhi, SZA is clearly loving being in NZ. At her second Spark Arena show in Auckland, the singer opened with Māori artists performing the "Ka Mate" haka. She later performed "20 Something" wrapped in the red, white, and black of the Tino rangatiratanga flag — a symbol of self-determination and sovereignty, captioning her IG story with "Māori to the world." SZA's show ended with a Māori prayer, as fans throughout the venue took part in sending her off with good wishes.

SZA recently took to X to express her overwhelming love for New Zealand: “I've never had more ppl pray for me and over me than in New Zealand 🇳🇿 no joke everyday [sic] it's a diff person or group. The arena sound broke my in-ears I couldn't keep them in it was so loud .. I never wanna leave this place 😩🥹🥲.”

With her new kirituhi tattoos, SZA will always have a piece of New Zealand with her when she heads back to the U.S. and Europe to headline festivals like Primavera Sound in Barcelona and Lollapalooza in Chicago alongside the likes of Stray Kids.

Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue

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