Te Mataraei o Rehu train for this weekend's Te Arawa regional kapa haka competition at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre. PHOTO/BEN FRASER
Te Mataraei o Rehu train for this weekend's Te Arawa regional kapa haka competition at the Rotorua Energy Events Centre. PHOTO/BEN FRASER
THE big guns of Te Arawa kapa haka will come out swinging this weekend to do battle for places at Te Matatini, the national kapa haka championships.
Poi will be swung in perfect synchronisation, voices will be pitch perfect and haka will be at its glorious best as 18 groupsvie for the honour of performing at Te Matatini 2017 in Hastings.
This year's Te Arawa competition is in honour of the memory of the late Mauriora Kingi who was the Rotorua Lakes Council kaupapa Maori director and respected kaumatua. Te Arawa Kapa Charitable Trust chairman Anaru Grant said Mr Kingi was instrumental as a kapa haka stalwart and represented Te Arawa on the national kapa haka arena.
"We honour him for the work he did for us. He was a very accomplished person," Mr Grant said.
All cultures are welcome to attend the performances as it is not just for Maori, said Mr Grant.
"The whole thing is about reaching out in terms of the culture. "It belongs to Aotearoa New Zealand. It is about exposing our culture to the world, and our international tourists and all locals are encouraged to come along," he said.
The group to watch will be Te Matarae i o Rehu, who have won Te Matatini twice and \ came second equal in 2015. Leader Wetini Mitai-Ngatai doesn't know what their winning formula is, for him it's all about maintaining tradition and doing justice to the stories they are telling.
"We just try to do our best by animating the stories that are important to us," he said.
Only five of the 18 groups performing this weekend go through to Te Matatini and while there is pressure to perform, everybody taking the stage also have enormous pride in their performance, Mr Grant said.
"We encourage people to have a lot of fun. At the end of the day we are all related. No matter which group you are in, you do your best, hug everybody after and celebrate the fact that our culture is alive and well."
Details: - What: Te Arawa Kapa Haka Whakataetae A Rohe - Where: Energy Events Centre - When: Today and tomorrow
Te Arawa Kapa Haka Whakataetae A Rohe programme: FRIDAY 2pm Ngati Whakaue Pakeke 2.30pm Ngati Pikiao Pakeke 3pm Ngati Rongomai Pakeke 3.30pm Te RauAroha 4pm Judges' break 4.30pm Te Hikuwai Pakeke 5pm Ngati Rangiwewehi Pakeke 5.30pm Ngati Kea/Ngati Tuara 6pm Te Utuhina ManaakitangaTrust SATURDAY 9am Te ArawaTautoko (Pakeke Kapa) 9.40am Nga Uri o Te Whanoa 10.20am Te Hikuwai 11am Judges' break 11.30am Tuhourangi Ngati Wahiao 12.10pm Kataore 12.50pm Ngati Whakaue 1.30pm Te Kai oTe ra Nui 2.30pm Te Matarae i o rehu 3.10pm Ngati Rangiwewehi 3.50pm Ngati Tarawhai 4.30pm Te Piki Kotuku o Rongomai 6.30pm PRIZEGIVING
