NGĀ Pua o Te Kōwhara will represent Maniapoto at Te Matatini in Auckland. PHOTO: MANIAPOTO FM
KING Country’s Ngā Pua o Te Kōwhara today represent Maniapoto in New Zealand’s national competitive kapa haka festival, Te Matatini.
It will be their first time at the event as a group.
Spokesman and co-leader Layelin Stewart said on Tuesday the roopu felt positive and was working hard.
“We’re still in preparation for our performance, but spirits are high. There’s definitely an air of excitement about, as we prepare in these past few days.”
As well as practising their singing and choreography, members were taking care of their wellbeing. This was especially important, Layelin said, because 70% had never performed at such a high level, and the youngest were only 16 years old.
“We are doing a lot of heart and mind stuff, just trying to settle the team. We do a lot of whakatu mauri, (settling the spirit).
“Making sure that we are feeling good as we practice, to make sure we look good and execute well.”
Ngā Pua o Te Kōwhara’s senior members supported younger ones with their “years of experience and wisdom,” he said.
“Our oldest person has just turned 60. He is the stalwart of our group, our head male tutor. He brings a wealth of experiences, as you would expect.
“He’s been part of teams that have won Te Matatini.
“I think he might have three or four titles under his belt.”
The group hopes to present the tribe’s stories in their best possible light.
“First and foremost, that we deliver the stories in our waiata and in our haka to the very best of our ability.
“The stories are stories of Maniapoto, stories of home.
“And they mean so much, not only to the club, but also to our home people. That is the primary goal,” Layelin said.
Another goal is gaining experience for members and raising awareness within the iwi.
“Through this experience our whole group grows, and then so does the profile of kapa haka within Ngāti Maniapoto.”
The group will perform at 10am. If they place in the top four teams of their pool, they will go on to a second performance on Saturday.
That would be “amazing”, Layelin said.
One waiata they will perform is Te Mana Whatu Ahuru by Ōtorohanga composer Hariru Roa.
“It is a link to the lineage of all that makes us Maniapoto.”
The waiata was composed in 2017 or 2018.
“It’s brand new to the eyes and ears of the country,” he said.
If Ngā Pua o Te Kōwhara could share any message, it would be one of gratitude.
“We are thankful and grateful from the support shown to us from the community and from Ngāti Maniapoto as a whole.”
Ngā pua o te Kōwhara is one of nine first-time teams at the festival – although some members have performed with other groups.
Te Matatini media manager Moko Tini-Templeton is pleased to see many new groups at the festival.
“We are really excited to have nine first timers coming to to Te Matatini in Auckland this year, representing their people and bringing their histories – their whakapapa, and connecting to Auckland and to the shared history that we all have together.”
It was a special occasion not just for the King Country performers, but also for whanau travelling up with them, she said.
Many Maniapoto kaumatua had missed Te Matatini over the past four years with Covid, but would be travelling up this year as before, and seeing each other again.
“This is going to be one big kapa haka reunion.
“We’re excited and looking forward to it,” Moko said.
After Cyclone Gabrielle, Te Matatini would be a “healing time” for everybody who gathered.
“All will be well in the Māori world. We’re stronger together and working as one, helping each other,” Moko said.
Local broadcasters MFM have filmed the months of work leading to this year’s campaign by Ngā Pua O Te Kōwhara; their video is available on social media at https://fb.watch/iOABq3mwrR/
