Iwalani School of Dance - Maori Tribute

Pre-European Māori music was predominantly sung, but researchers Hirini Melbourne and Richard Nunns have unearthed a rich tradition of blown, struck and whirled instruments. Songs (waiata) were sung solo, in unison or at the octave. Types of song included lullabies (oriori), love songs (waitata aroha) and laments (waiata tangi). It was traditional to end a speech with a song, but none are reported to have been composed especially for this setting or confined to it. Some of the smaller wind instruments were also sung into, and the sound of the poi (raupo ball swung on the end of a flax cord) provided a rhythmic accompaniment to waiata poi.

Captain Cook reported that the Māori sang in "semitones" and others reported that the Māori had no singing/vocal music at all or sang discordantly, but this is incorrect. Europeans could not hear the microtones the Māori were singing. A pre-European song could have a range of as little as a minor third but with several more than the four notes of European music within that range. A song would repeat a single melodic line, generally centred on one note, falling away at the end of the last line. It was a bad omen for a song to be interrupted, so singers in groups would cover for each other while individuals took breath. It was missionary influence that led to the harmonisation of modern Māori music. Through the 19th and 20th centuries the compass of new songs in traditional style gradually increased, so that it is possible to date a song approximately by its range.

As part of a deliberate campaign to revive Māori music and culture in the early 20th century, Ngata virtually invented the "action song" (waiata-a-ringa) in which stylised body movements, many with standardised meanings, synchronise with the singing. He, Tuini Ngawai and the tourist concert parties of Rotorua developed the familiar performance of today, with sung entrance, poi, haka ("war dance"), stick game, hymn, ancient song and/or action song, and sung exit. The group that performs it is known as a kapa haka, and in the last few decades, competitions within iwi (tribes) and religious denominations (notably the Kotahitanga sect), regionally and nationally, have raised their performances to a high standard.

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Entertainment

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• iwalani tseu
• aureana
• aureana dance
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[julycastro64]

Is Wonderfull!!! Congratulations is the best school of Polinesian dance!

[RuataraKid]

Cheeee :) Kia Ora Hawaii !

[soljah12591]

2much alright cuzzies from hawaii!! Big upz 2 you!! but yeah i do agree with MakaririBreeze we fought and still are!! Its in us to never give up we were and still are warriors!! Rise up my People Kia Kaha!!

[MakaririBreeze]

Just a point that should be made here. The British didn not defeat Maoridom during the 1800's for if that was the case, The English would not have had a treaty with the Maori. The only indigenous culture to have a treaty with the white man.

[tectonaguy]

aue! I agree with Keanini! The lyrics do not correspond well with the actions that well!

[RedbakMorp]

I liked it, they looked like the manu doll. It was very entertaining. It's kinda like when we took the tune to one of their waiata tangi and made it in to a famous up beat Maori song. The way they wiri and do poi is amazing. LOVE IT!!

[hunz81]

Nice to see another culture try our culture and maori performance, and put in an island twist to it, sounds gud...well done, tu meke...churrrhuhhh

[MatuaPukz]

They can do the poi waaaaaaaaaay better than heaps of people i know. Why do people always have to point out others faults. You've gotta give it to them for trying. Maybe they were just incorrectly informed when they travelled over here.

[Nofilia1]

i think that this is beautiful because they are recognising maori culture, although they have the music wrong, pronouciation and some of the actions they are still beautiful to watch:):)

[AGENT1]

I give the kids credit for there dance. but I hate when tourist try to take something hawaiian and do it so aweful and say its something hawaiian. Just like this, you have taken the maori culture and you make things up along the way and call it maori....Like your karanga.....what is kiora kiora kiora....and the chee hooo its samoan and the tahitian calling that whistling in the high pitch voice thats tahitian...All Im saying is if youre going to do maori make it as culturaly right as possible..