Ngati Kahungunu star in Matariki webcast

The lyrics of two well known Ngati Kahungunu composers will be brought to life and broadcast to the rest of the world as part of Te Papa's Matariki Festival in Wellington this weekend.
Ngati Kahungunu will send two bus loads of performers to the capital to be the biggest group among seven others performing at the Kaumatua Kapa Haka event which for the first time will be webcast live.
The groups are required to select songs composed pre-1972 and Ngati Kahungunu, among others in its programme, opted for numbers written by composers Paraire Tomoana and Canon Wi Te Tau Huata.
They will perform Tomoana's song, E Para Ra, written during the World War I about a son who was killed during the conflict and the grief his family feel for the loss.
The song was written as a lament and was recorded and re-recorded as well as performed by many others over the years.
It's first major outing was when it was sung by Ngati Kahungunu, as a tribe, at Waitangi in about the late 1920s or earlier 1930s.
Canon Huata wrote the song, Tutira Mai Nga Iwi, to encourage Maori to stand together or to be united as one.
He had been searching for the title of the song when it came to him one day when he was driving between Wairoa and Napier.
He was looking for something which stood for unity and when he arrived at Lake Tutira, between the two towns, he took the name of the lake for the song. The number was composed in the 1960s and had also been recorded.
Organiser Tama Huata, from the Takitimu Performing Arts School, said the group had been rehearsing at least once a week at the school in Hastings.
Rehearsals had been a challenge as performers ranged from Wairoa, Hastings and Wairarapa, all areas within the Kahungunu tribal boundary.
"I think with Ngati Kahungunu, it's our singing style, that's what is unique about this area and the composition [of songs] from this area," Mr Huata said.
 Relatives and friends of those performing this weekend were told they could also watch the festival on the internet if they couldn't travel to Te Papa.
Ngati Kahungunu will perform at 1.30pm on Saturday and at 2pm on Sunday.
 Groups from Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Gisborne, Taranaki and Wellington will also perform.

Other groups to feature included Auckland Anglican Maori Club; Te Whanau a Kohine Ponika (Auckland/Bay of Plenty); He Kura ki Waikato (Waikato); Te Hokowhitu a Tu (Gisborne); Taranaki ki te Tonga (South Taranaki); Te Ropu Tahiwi a Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington-based) and Te Wiwi Nati (Wellington-based).
* People can see the performance online, via TelstraClear's Next IP Network, at www.tepapa.govt.nz/kapahaka.