Māori

cloakKapahaka ‘incredible’ experience

Hundreds of Canterbury performers took to the stage on Saturday 12 April for the 43rd Nga Pakihi Whakatekateka o Waitaha kapahaka competition. Organised by the Waitaha Cultural Council, the event is a showcase of unique and original Māori heritage and culture.

Christchurch City Council Māori Arts adviser Paula Rigby says the competition, which involves groups of up to 40 performers, are fiercely contested.

“It’s all about being different being out of the box. The tutors and members of the group are working on creating new tunes, songs and moves to make it more vibrant. That’s what keeps the Māori performing arts alive. You have to keep building to keep your reputation up, so you keep looking for new ways of doing that.”

Regional competitions have an extra edge, she says.

“You want to go away and represent at a national level. You do whatever you can to make the judges think ‘wow, this group has to go’.”

Kapahaka is a dynamic and ever-changing art form and choreography has become an important element, she adds.

“It’s not just about standing in straight lines on stage any more. There’s lots of movement and rows (of people) moving around and interchange between men and women.”

Taking the chance to watch kapahaka is a must, she says.

“It’s incredible. If people have the opportunity to go they should. You may not understand it, but I can guarantee that it will be a moving experience.”

Different disciplines

Groups have some compulsory elements to their performances, Paula explains.

“You have to have an entrance to get onto stage. You have to incorporate a waiata aringa which is an action song, a poi, which is usually done by the women, the haka, and an exit to get off stage.”

A choral piece to show that groups can work in harmony and balance and a more traditional item chants from the more formal setting of the marae - are also required elements. Traditionally women perform the poi piece and men dominate the haka, but more groups have mixed performances now, Paula says.

Kapahaka groups practice and perform items from many different iwi and the groups are pan-tribal.

“Members of the group will learn some of the songs from their own area, and then there are those popular songs that are created for other competitions that groups like to keep alive.”

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