A highlight for Tamatea CHB spectators at Te Kahu o Te Amorangi Kapa Haka Regionals will be Tamatea Arikinui, from Pōrangahau.
Up to 10,000 people are expected to gather in Waipukurau to watch and support Te Kahu o Te Amorangi kapa haka regional competition.
It has been 16 years since the biennial event was last held in Tamatea, Central Hawke’s Bay.
Hosting of the regional event is shared among approximately 10 rohe within Ngāti Kahungunu, and this year it will be hosted at Te Waipukurau a Ruakūhā - Russell Park, by Te Taiwhenua o Tamatea on Friday and Saturday.
Ngāti Kahungunu is the first iwi to host their competition out of the 13 New Zealand-wide regional competitions in the lead-up to Te Matatini, a competition that began in 1972.
There will be 13 kapa competing at Te Waipukurau a Ruakūhā, vying for four places in Te Matatini 2027.
Event organiser Te Rangimarie Ngarotata said all eyes would be on them and they wanted to set a high standard for the other qualifying rounds across the country.
The event begins on Friday at 10am with pōhiri, the opening ceremony, followed by the entertainment groups at 8am on Saturday performing in front of 19 specialist judges.
Each group will perform six compulsory items, having just 30 minutes to present the culmination of months of dedication and practice out on stage.
Performance items include whakaeke (entrance), waiata tawhito (traditional song), poi (song with poi), waiata ā-ringa (action song), haka and whakawātea (exit) with an optional waiata tira (choral).
A highlight for Tamatea CHB spectators will be Tamatea Arikinui, from Pōrangahau, Ngāti Kahungunu’s longest-standing kapa haka group, founded in 1978 by the late Professor Piri Sciascia ONZM.
Ngarotata said spectacular performances were expected from the groups.
“The beauty of kapa haka is not just the competitive side but the education that people learn about their own marae and their own hapū, their own people, the family time and the intergenerational experience of each kapa’s campaign.”
She said this year’s theme was a Piri Sciascia whakataukī ‘He toi whakairo, he mana tangata’ which translated to ‘Where there is artistic excellence, there is human dignity’, she said.
“He has contributed immensely to Māori arts, and it’s to pay homage to him and his rōpū.”
Along with the competitive groups, there will be groups performing for fun and entertainment.
Ngarotata said they wanted to create an educational experience, and there would be an exhibition tent with tā moko artists, taonga Māori display, and screened documentaries.
“It’s not just about kapa haka, we have tried to incorporate as much as we can, especially because there is going to be 10,000 people that will be coming from near and far and we wanted to educate everyone as much as we can about our little small town.”
There will be a market area featuring 15 taonga Māori vendors, a tamariki tent with activities and a play area, and 30 food vendors.
“Each kapa haka event has catered for our kaumatua, but we have also decided to cater to each generation, and have made a tamariki tent.
“It’s an opportunity to promote Te Reo and Mātauranga Māori, for our up and coming generations of tamariki.”
When Hawke’s Bay Today spoke with Ngarotata on Tuesday, she said most accommodation offerings nearby were already fully booked.
She said the community was working together to bring the event to life, and the A&P Showgrounds would be open for self-contained camping.
“It’s amazing for a small community how much we have been able to come together and pull it all off.
“We will have people travelling from Wairarapa right through to Wairoa, and the economic injection into our small community is going to be massive.”
Ngarotata said the event was likely to go ahead regardless of any rain.
“We carry on. What do you do when it rains? You just get wet.”
She said a water tanker would be on site and suggested people bring water bottles to refill.
As judges’ scores are tallied ahead of the evening’s prizegiving, local artists will take to the stage with a free concert.
Entry to Te Kahu o Te Amorangi Kapa Haka Regionals is by koha (donation), and all are welcome.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.