Strengthen your reo with waiata Māori

Everyone loves and appreciates different forms of music;  whether it’s through singing, playing your favourite instruments and singing along, or by simply listening and feeling the heart of the music. The amazing thing about music is that you can hear it in any language and yet still feel the passion and story behind it.

Waiata, like other forms of music is a way to communicate. It serves a purpose, such as storytelling, to support, to teach, to warn, to urge others, or to mourn. It is beautiful and passionate, and its purpose only make these feelings stronger.

There are three main types of traditional waiata. These are waiata tangi (laments), waiata aroha (love songs) and oriori (lullabies). However, these are only some of the many forms of waiata; and it now spans across various music genres and themes from Alien Weaponry’s album ‘Tū ‘ ( a heavy metal band that sings completely in Te Reo,) to Maisey Rika‘s song ‘Tangaroa Whakamautai,’ from her album Whitiora, which is haunting and beautiful.

What is your favourite waiata? What does waiata mean to you?

Waiata is another way to help learn new words or a language. It helps build your memory by repeating lyrics and having a meaningful or catchy tune; and is a great tool for teaching tamariki.

Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga (Ministry of Education) has some awesome resources built on supporting te reo Māori by giving resources designed for learning and teaching in waiata. Hei waiata contains song sheets with the key, lyrics and tune, teaching suggestions and finally a free MP3 download of the waiata; and there is plenty to choose from!

Another way of getting to learn easy waiata is to listen to it; could be at home, in the shower, or in the car ride on the way to school. Anika Moa has two lovely albums with songs for children that are catchy, easy to sing to and are just plain fun!

You could also have a look at Māori Television’s “Waiata,” a showcase of original songs from Aotearoa’s contemporary artists.

Did you know we also have loads of resources of waiata right here in Christchurch City Libraries? There is various forms of enjoying waiata; could be as a CD, a lyric book, or a compilation of various formats e.g book and CD.

Check out some of these!

• He Waiata Tamariki
• Waiata
• Songs for Bubbas
• Waiata
• Waiata aroha
• Kiri
• Waiata mai
• He waiata mā te katoa
• Waiata mai

If you would like some more waiata inspiration give these a listen:

Find out more

Throughout Te Wiki o te Reo Māori we’ll be blogging about ways you can help strengthen the reo.

• More posts about Te Wiki o te Reo Māori
• Find Māori Language Week events at the library

Kōrerorero mai – Join the conversation

Auē! Me tangi noa ahau ki muri nei

My grandfather’s brother never came back from World War One. He’s buried in Armentières, France. My grandmother’s brother lost his leg, so the family farm in Southland had to be sold – he couldn’t take up his inheritance. My great aunt’s fiancé returned a shell-shocked alcoholic – PTSD, they’d call it these days. They parted and she never married.

In the retellings of the larger stories of war it is often these vignettes of personal loss, the consequences felt by loved ones, that speak quietly but with a universal relatability.

I found myself thinking of those members of my family, and the war that changed their lives, when listening to the beautiful lament E Pari Rā.

Written by Paraire Tomoana (Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāti Te Whatu-i-āpiti leader) for his relative, kuia Maku-i-te-Rangi Ellison, E Pari Rā gives a lasting voice to her pain and grief over the loss of her son Whakatomo Ellison, who died in the battle of the Somme. Its beautiful metaphor for grief as the surging tide is both deeply personal, and universal.

E pari rā

E pari rā e ngā tai ki te ākau. / The tides surge onto the seashore
E hotu rā ko taku manawa. / with each throb of my heart.
Auē! Me tangi noa / Alas! Weeping without restraint
Ahau i muri nei / for I am left behind, 
Te iwi e he ngākau tangi noa. / everyone is utterly heart-broken.

Tēnā rā! Tahuri mai! / So please come back, return
E te tau! te aroha. / my beloved, my love
Tēnei rā ahau te tangi nei. / I weep here
Mōhou kua wehea nei. / for you now far away
Haere rā! mahara mai. / Farewell! And remember, 
E te tau! kia mau ki au. / Beloved! Be true to me
Haere rā! ka tūturu ahau. / Farewell! I will be true to you
Haere Rā! / Farewell!

Haere rā e tama / Farewell young man
Haere rā. / Farewell.
Haria rā te aroha i ahau / Take my love with you
Auē! Me tangi noa / Alas! Tears fall
Ahau ki muri nei / as I am left behind here
Te iwi e he ngākau tangi noa. / the hearts of your people weep openly

Find out more

• Find recordings of E Pari Rā in the library catalogue
• Ministry of Education Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga page on E pari rā
• Pakanga – Māori World War history on Internet Gateway
• New Zealanders in the First World War – Māori and Pacific Island Soldiers
• Explore Anzac Day services, events, and exhibitions in Christchurch
• More information about ANZAC Day

Win tickets to see the Modern Māori Quartet and NZSO

Excellent news! The NZSO Summer Pops tour arrives in Christchurch this week, not only bringing this amazing orchestra to town but also the irresistibly entertaining Modern Māori Quartet.

These guys were the hot ticket at the 2015 Christchurch Arts Festival and they’re back again at their crooning best at Horncastle Arena, Friday 3 March at 7pm.

Check out their YouTube channel for a taste of what to expect.

We have two double passes to give away but entries close 5pm on Wednesday 1 March so you need to be in quick! Fill out the entry form on our competitions page to be in with a chance to win.

Te Reo Māori, ake, ake, ake

As Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori draws to a close we can all stop using our newly learned kupu and vastly improved pronunciation until next year, right?

KAO. (That’s a big NO, just in case you were wondering)

You can use te reo Māori and embrace the arts and culture of indigenous New Zealanders any time. And in Christchurch we’ve got some great opportunities coming up to do just that so let’s keep the poro rolling with –

Te Kupu o Te Wiki

Every Monday on this blog there’ll be a kupu hou (new word) to add to your vocabulary, complete with a link where you can listen online so no worries about not getting your pronunciation tino tika.

E Hoa

Māori art vector prints by Dallas Matoe and Lino cuts by George Aranui, until 15 August at Linwood Community Arts Centre/Eastside Gallery.

Ever the land

NZIFF documentary about the planning and building of New Zealand’s first “living building”, Te Wharehou o Tūhoe. This is no Grand Designs, it’s much more than that. Session on 15 & 16 August.

Ngā Whanaunga Māori Pasifika Shorts 2015

This year’s expression of ‘Ngā Whanaunga’ – which means relatedness and connectedness between peoples – is realised with films from Aotearoa, Hawaii, Samoa and Tuvalu. Session on 19 & 23 August.

The Price of Peace

Investigative journalist Kim Webby’s documentary about Tūhoe activist Tame Iti and the Urewera Four. A portrait of a man and his “rightly embittered philosophy”. Session on 10 & 11 August.

Belief: The Possession of Janet Moses

Documentary about the tragic death of Janet Moses in 2007 as the result of a mākutu lifting by her family. Session on 17 & 18 August.

Modern Māori Quartet

These guys are the business. Don’t believe me? Check out their te reo version of Lorde’s Royals and then tell me one of their shows wouldn’t be a great night out.

Tickets for their 10 & 11 September gigs are selling fast so kia tere!

Ngā Tai o Kurawaka: He Kura e Huna Ana

He Kure e Huna Ana is a Pounamu creation story of Poutini and Waitaki but one which develops with the help of the audience. At the Court Theatre 8-10 September.

Rama Tuna

Priscilla Cowie (Ngai Tahu, Ngati Kahu, Nga Puhi, Ngati Pakeha) presents a new sculptural installation honouring the tuna or long finned eel. View it between 28 August and 13 September at The Arts Centre Market Square.

Waiata – Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

Tātou ka waiata!

E koekoe te tūī, e ketekete te kākā, e kūkū te kererū.

The tūī chatters, the parrot gabbles, the wood pigeon coos (it takes all sorts…)

Having just completed a whistle-stop tour of 5 libraries with Ngā Manu Tioriori (Council waiata group) today as part of celebrating Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori, it is apt to write about waiata me te Reo Māori.

Ngā Manu Tioriori / Christchurch City Council’s Waiata Group at Linwood Library, Wednesday 29 July 2015. Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. Flickr 2015-07-29-IMG_7431

One very effective way to enhance learning of a language is by singing! Te Ao Māori is full of glorious waiata for all sorts of occasions – from whakapapa retention, understanding the world around us, celebrations and learning. Language transmission is enhanced and embedded with the use of music, rythmn, and repetition.

Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi has a large collection of Te Reo Maori waiata and songs for tamariki  in te Reo Maori  for you to explore.

Web sites such as Waiata mai and Maori Television allow for visual interpretation as well, with kupu often visible  –  just like karaoke! Get your tamariki and moko to find some and have a whānau competition. Waiata on You Tube will keep you busy for ages.

With artists such as Ariana Tikao and Maisey Rika producing beautiful waiata and stunning video we have such wonderful oppurtunities to listen to te Reo Māori sung with aroha.

What is your favourite te Reo Māori waiata? Kōrerorero mai.

Te Ku Te Whe – Hirini Melbourne & Richard Nunns – free online New Zealand music

Today’s musical offering for library members is Te Ku Te Whe by Hirini Melbourne & Richard Nunns. An extraordinary recording, it reached gold status in 2002 and is still popular today.

In keeping with Māori spirituality, the music on Te Ku Te Whe takes the listener into an ancient world, structured by mythology, history, and the moods of nature. The sound and images have been chosen to evoke the closeness of Māori music to the land, the sea and the wind.

This album (and over 52,000 more) is available online for free from anywhere with your library card number and PIN.

For New Zealand Music Month we are featuring a daily dose of free online New Zealand music from Naxos Music Library and the Source.

• More free online New Zealand music
• Posts about New Zealand Music Month
• New Zealand Music Month events
• NZ Music Month — official site

Māori Music in our libraries

Not only do we have a great selection of recordings of traditional Māori music in our libraries but we produce a guide to the best resources in our collections and online. Christchurch City Council has their own waiata group which celebrates at special occasions around our libraries. Here they are at Christmas time at Central Tuam Library last year singing carols in Māori. During NZ Music Month you can catch the Shirley Primary School kapa haka group at Shirley Library on Thursday May 16 at 1.30pm.

 

Contemporary World Music

15,945 albums, over 200,000 tracks, constantly growing –  the Contemporary World Music is a fantastic source of musical inspiration from around the world.

Featured is a selection of Maori  music including haka, poetry and traditional  songs.

Alongside this the site features sounds  from every continent, showcasing important genres such as reggae, Bollywood, Arab swing jazz, neo-traditional and much more. You can find traditional genres like flamenco, klezmer, zydeco and fado,

I particularly enjoyed the search feature which gives options of instrument category or genre. Each categorey is divided into a huge number of sub-categories which contain something as regular as a drum, or something unexpected like a bowl, to more obscure items such as a mirliton.

The home page has a Featured section displays a view of sliding titles giving you the change to stumble upon something new. As well there is an advanced search feature and playlists created by users.

This site is a great addition to the library Source collection of databases. Its has an amazing variety of music if you are looking for something with a unique cultural sound. Browse and enjoy!

Christopher Reid

Terrific Titanics and the Maori Volcanics

My latest Arts Festival outing was Raising the Titanics. Although my view of proceedings onstage consisted of the actors’ heads, and only their heads, framed by the backs of the heads of the people sitting in front of me, I still managed to enjoy it.

Vanity prevented me from taking a rug (so aging) as recommended by one reviewer and it proved the right call. The dome was toasty warm, and resembled an igloo only in shape.

The Titanics, fictionally set in the golden age of the Māori showband, featured some great singing and gave me a craving to hear those beautiful close harmonies from the real thing.  Where better to start than The Maori Volcanics? Billy T. James and Prince Tui Teka were alumni, and while I’m listening I’m going to flick through the book about them to enjoy their visual stylings .

Taonga Puoro

Recently the Robert McDougall Art Gallery hosted a show by Brian Flintoff and Richard Nunns. These two men – introduced by none other than the esteemed Sir Tipene O’Regan – have spent the better part of their careers learning about traditional Māori musical instruments and the musical expression of pre-colonial Aotearoa.

We were treated to a retelling of the creation story complete with sound effects incorporated into beautiful and haunting songs sung by Ariana Tikao. Brian tells a good story. It starts with the separating of Sky Father Rangi – for whom tunes are named after – and Earth Mother Papatuanuku – who provides the heartbeat and rhythm. This is the work of their eldest son Tane, who then filled the new space with sounds, breath of the birds – haumanu, and things from which to make these sounds. This connection with the ‘cosmogony‘ (cor, what a word!) is why they are called singing treasures.

Richard and Brian have been hanging out for years and their hilarious banter gave some extra personal flavour to the storytelling.

The instruments themselves were amazing to hear and see. Carved and decorated whales teeth and bones, shells, hardwoods, soft stones, gourds, pounamu and even kelp are then blown, struck or swung to create sounds that mimic those made by nature. My favourite instrument is the ‘hue puruhau’. It is a gourd that when swung in a big circle, emulates the low boom of the male kakapo. Way cool!

And how about this for a true story… a flute with one hole, the pumotomoto, is played over the fontanelle of a new-born baby’s head to implant songs and information on tribal heritage directly into the child’s subconscious. Now that’s an idea.

The echo of the marbled art gallery chamber made the sounds and songs come alive. Another thing that really struck me was how eerie some of this was. If I was about to go for a walk in the woods at night, I’d be scared!

See the library website for more on Maori music: contemporary Maori music, waiata, kapa haka and more information on taoka puoro (traditional Maori music).

In this Radio NZ programme Richard Nunns plays the instruments and talks about them too.