To see the Maori translation of this article, click here.
KEY POINTS:
Hinewehi Mohi doesn't reckon she's radical. But in 1999 it seemed she was the architect of one of the most awkward moments in the history of this country's race relations - singing the national anthem in te reo Maori at Twickenham before a Rugby World Cup match.
These
days the event is celebrated as a part of our history, but eight years ago the soprano had All Blacks standing, confusion written on their faces as they waited for English to follow.
At home, talkback radio went crazy about the Maori-only version, the story led news bulletins and columnists all put their two cents' worth in.
And there were those who wanted her banned from ever singing it again.
Tomorrow marks the end of Maori Language Week.
Hinewehi told the Weekend Herald that when she looks back she is still surprised by "all that fuss".
The 42-year-old says that because te reo had been a high priority for her, she forgot others didn't necessarily hold it in the same regard.
"I was really upset because I guess I was naive thinking that we all celebrated our uniqueness down here in Aotearoa.
"And it wasn't quite like that."
Hinewehi - who jokes she was a bit of a "dial a diva" for the test - says she had very little experience singing the English version.
"To be honest I didn't know all of the English words and some of them are funny. I thought people would dig it [the Maori version]. I thought if I'm really feeling so much heart then people wouldn't be able to help themselves getting wrapped up in that emotion - the same as the haka."
While New Zealand went all introspective, the UK press wondered what the problem was.
"They didn't know we were dealing with biculturalism and bilingualism.
"But in so many places around the world monolingualism, or only English, is just not an option."
Naida Glavich - famed as the toll operator who in 1984 was criticised for greeting customers with "Kia ora" - remembers jumping up and down when Mohi was singing the anthem.
"Oh she sang it as only she can. Beautiful."
Ms Glavich was initially demoted over her "Kia ora" greetings.
Today, she says there must have been no other news going on because four days of intense national media coverage followed when the story broke.
But where opinion was fragmented over the singer's action, public opinion was firmly behind Ms Glavich. Pilots started greeting their passengers with the salutation and Auckland University's student magazine changed its name from Craccum to Kia Ora.
Ms Glavich was reinstated, and promoted to the international tolls service.
"I say I fought the battle but it was the country that won the war because of their response to it. I was thinking 'that's the difference between me and Hinewehi'. I took on a government-owned agency, she took on a nation."
Looking back now, those moments don't seem so awkward.
Mohi hopes it's not the only thing people think she's defined by.
She's been a television producer, set up a music therapy centre for children with disabilities and had a gig on Maori Television's Ask Your Auntie.
But looking back, she is glad one song generated so much discussion about the language.
"I didn't go out there to make a point. [But] maybe we needed a bit of a tickle up."
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To see the Maori translation of this article, click here.
