Some New Zealand music for Anzac day
It’s Anzac Day today. A couple of weeks, I posted about going to see Voices from the Front – a World War 1 story and talked about Anzac Day.
That got me fired up to use some of those songs in my arthritis class. So I choreographed a bunch of them and had a whole new routine for my ladies yesterday.
I used a few Maori songs in the routine, and then realised that although I did a post of Kiwi classics as part of my 60 years of my favourite music, I haven’t focused on Māori music at all.
So here, in honour of Anzac Day, is some Māori music from WWI onwards.
But first, let’s start with what may be the only example of Maori culture that many of you have ever seen – the haka performed by our All Blacks rugby team. Although this performance is from 2015, the dance form known as haka is ancient. Read more here on the All Blacks website
Going back in time now to WWI, this song, Now Is The Hour, is known as the Maori farewell. According to Wikipedia (abridged, see full article here):
"Now Is the Hour" is a popular song from the early 20th century ... Māori words were added around 1915 and the tune was slightly changed. It became known as Po Atarau and was used a farewell to Māori soldiers going to the First World War. After this, some white New Zealanders "mistakenly thought [the song was] an old Maori folksong.
Another famous song from WWI is Pokarekare Ana. It’s a love song which was popularised by Māori soldiers who were training near Auckland before embarking for the war in Europe. This version has the lyrics, and shows the translation below.
One of popular singers from the 60s on was Sir Howard Morrison. He is perhaps most well known for Whakaaria Mai, a bilingual version of How Great Thou Art.
This version of a song called Poi-E, performed by the Patea Māori Club, became very popular in the 1980s. You get to see some traditional costumes and dance moves, but also some of the street dancers of the time. Watching it again, it was fun to see three of the dancers I did dance classes with around that time. You can spot them between 2:35 and 2:46.
And now for something so modern, it was only written this year and has been performed just once, at the Cuba Dupa street festival I posted about here. Although it was filmed, I can’t find it anywhere online. But our choir learnt it, to accompany them, and it was so funky, I just loved it. Here is a clip of the song writer showing the dance moves, accompanied by the draft recording they made. Crank it up and funk out, bro.
And finally, to go to the opposite end of the spectrum, Māori music doesn’t just encompass traditional and popular music. Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is a world renowned opera singer and here she performs Bach’s Ave Maria.
Thanks for listening. That was just a snippet, and I hope you enjoyed the variety.
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Some of my previous ENTERTAINMENT posts:
• Benefits of joining a community choir
• Wearable Arts Award Show
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1957 to 1966
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1967 to 1971
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1972 to 1976
• Singing carols with the NZ Symphony Orchestra PLUS my best loved Christmas music
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1976 to 1983
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1983 to 1988
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1988 to 1994
• If crying in movies was an Olympic sport
• 60 years of my favourite music – 1994 to 2001
• 60 years of my favourite music – 2001 to 2007
• 60 years of my favourite music – 2008 to 2014_
• Remembering those who passed away in 2016
• 60 years of my favourite music – some randoms
• 60 years of my favourite music – more randoms
• 60 years of my favourite music – Kiwi classics
• My fiction-trail competition 1 entry – Time to buy a Purple Hat
• My fiction-trail competition 2 entry – The Broken Man
• My choir singing on the streets of Wellington
• Voices from the Front – a story of Gallipoli
• RIP Kiwi comedian John Clarke aka Fred Dagg
No Billy T?.
Did you do all the Maori action songs in primary school? or had they been phased out by then?.
Prince Tui Teka did a long [7 minutes ish] 'Maori Battalion' medley that covered a wide range of Maori songs as well.
To have a gang of Maori Army and Air Force guys sing Maori Battalion in their natural harmonies raises the hairs on the back of your neck.
No, we didn't do them, which was a shame. We do a few waiata in choir, and I'd like to have included a clip of us, but there are only some of our songs on Youtube.
But I will immediately go away and look for the Tui Teka medley you mention and some Billy T.
The hairs on the back of my neck are stirring, just thinking of how beautiful and powerful those harmonies would have been.
About the only thing to match them is the Fijian male choirs. The biggest bloke doing the tenor and the runt doing the bass. In 1958 to 60 the Suva radio station would close at 10.30 , usually with a male choir doing Isa Lei. Another hair raising memory.
While Maori was banned at school, we learned a lot of the traditional games and songs in primary schools, they were in the country which might have helped.
This Isa Lei might be closest to what you're describing that I can find
If I'd been a couple of years younger, I'd probably have been able to be in a Maori club and learned the songs.
These are the older members of the Fiji Army, try and add some high tenors from the youth, or walking past a church on Sunday and listening to the singing.
Brings a tear to the eye.
I can imagine
I think this is the Prince Tui Teka medley
I have never seen it before. But that is it. Well found,
Not much musical by Billy T around, but here's a snippet
I have got 7 of his songs, no pictures, on my hard drive, if you want them how can I send them to you.
One isn't for young ears, so I had better keep that one.
My ears are not that young - I suspect I've heard worse. Maybe next time Trevor comes up, he could put them on a stick and bring them down to Wellington for me. What are some of the songs? If I search for the title, maybe I'll have better luck.
Try: you tube / music / billy t james / songs.
don't watch the rare 1984 footage, you are to young.
also some of his TV ads are on the same spot.
Nice! These are awesome, my friend! Great post about this, it really expanded my knowledge regarding the culture. New Zealand is the only other country I could see myself living in, so I'm glad to have this opportunity at a crash course of the culture. Truly wonderful music that powerfully depicts the colorful history and culture.
Happy Anzac Day! :D
Thanks. Hope you at least get to come and visit us some time. Glad you enjoyed it! Better go check out some other kiwi classics in one of my other posts - 60 years of my favourite music – Kiwi classics
I've actually been offered to work there a bunch of times. Definitely a dream destination. I hope one of the offers pan out. Let's see what the future holds!
Wow! I never knew Kiwi music was so rich. I wouldn't have known some of them were Kiwi classics. I think I've heard of Maxine before. I really liked April Sun in Cuba, I See Red and Computer Games :D Thanks for sharing it, my friend!
Quite a variety of music here. Phew Dame Kiri has a voice to listen to... I really enjoy her. I gave the haka a miss... reminds me too much of how often they beat the Springboks {sulk}
I know someone who moved to NZ, place looks amazing, great post and upvoted and followed. Thanks.
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