Rihanna has taken home a permanent reminder of her visit to New Zealand - a traditional tattoo on her right hand by Inia Taylor and Tiki Taane.
Courtesy YouTube / Tiki Taane
Global singing superstar Rihanna has left New Zealand with a permanent gift - a traditional Polynesian tattoo given to her by Tauranga-based musician Tiki Taane.
The pop princess was in New Zealand as part of her Diamonds world tour and visited Taane and Auckland ta moko artist Inia Taylor thisweek.
A YouTube video of the tattooing has since gone viral, with New Zealand, UK, and American media sharing the footage.
Taane, based in Papamoa, helped apply the chisel and hold Rhianna's hand steady as Taylor worked in traditional custom tapping the mallet.
Taane told the Bay of Plenty Times yesterday the experience was something special.
"All I can say is that Rihanna, she is an amazing girl and is a huge fan of Inia Taylor of Moko Ink and really wanted to get tattooed in the traditional way," he said.
Tiki Taane and Rihanna after he helped tattoo her hand in a traditional Polynesian way. Photo / APN
"We only do it for special people. We felt that Rihanna was special. She really wanted to get it and came out to our studio, came out with her entourage.
"We explained to her what it means to carry it and she's gone away from here empowered and carrying something very special," Taane said.
Research shows traditional Polynesian tattoo (tatau) is considered a traditional method to fetch spiritual power, protection and strength, used as a sign of character, position and levels in a hierarchy.
It is believed a person's mana, spiritual power or life force, is displayed through tattoo.
Tattooing is a sacred ceremony in Polynesian culture. The tattoos and their location on the body were often determined by a person's genealogy, position within a society and personal achievements. Tattoo was also reflective of a person's status.
In the two-minute video, Rihanna can be seen squeezing something akin to a stress ball in her left hand as Taane and Taylor work on the right.
The latest addition comprises grooves and symbols covering her hand.
Rihanna's stardom
Rihanna shot to super-stardom in 2007 after she released the single Umbrella which became the longest-running No 1 single for more than a decade in the UK, spending 10 weeks at the top. It stayed at No 1 for six weeks in New Zealand. By then she had already hit the New Zealand top 10 charts with singles SOS (Rescue Me), Unfaithful, and We Ride. Other chart toppers include Take a Bow, Don't Stop The Music and Shut Up and Drive. Rihanna was in New Zealand this week as part of her Diamonds world tour, performing in Auckland over three nights. She also gained increased publicity when her then-boyfriend Chris Brown attacked her in February, 2009. Rihanna has won awards worldwide, including five Grammys.
