Last Big Blog: Maori of New Zealand

Hi everyone!! We have finally reached the last destination of our music culture trip and I just wanted to say I had the time of my life traveling with you and I hope I gave you an experience like no other. Can you believe we went from North America to South America, Middle East, and Korea in four weeks? This isn't goodbye yet as we have one more country to travel to: New Zealand, to learn about the Maori people. I really wanted to go over every aspect about the Maori people and the culture but that would result in this blog to never end, haha! So I decided to talk about the traditional Maori instruments and the Haka. Let's see what we have discovered on this last trip!

 Overview:

The Maori are known as the tangata whenua, which translates to ‘people of the land’ of New Zealand. Their history started when they migrated on canoes from Hawaiki to New Zealand in the fourteenth century. They were in isolation to avoid external contact from the outside but that was all interrupted in 1769 when James Cook navigated to New Zealand and brought the presence of Europeans but it didn’t stop there. Just like the Native Americans, The British promised the Maori people they could keep their land and property under British rule but they ended up taking the Maori lands and made them move to reservations. The Maori culture fell drastically due to war and diseases. It wasn’t until 1996 that the government finally agreed to a settlement with the Maoris after many court rulings and protests. Since then, the Maori have been reviving their traditional culture through the people, language, and music. 





Traditional Maori Music: 

Taonga puoro are the traditional Maori musical instruments which consist mostly of aerophones and idiophones . These instruments are known as the children of the Gods who brought them to life. Rangi was the name of a Sky Father and it was said that any music that was performed would reach him in the skies and because of that, all melodic instruments came from Rangi. Similar to the Native Americans, they used instruments for spiritual and physical purposes: a flute can be used to summon spirits for healing or simply to make someone happy.Music was played for any reason given whether it was to fit the mood or to call on the Gods. Each instrument in the Taonga puoro has their own names and their own individuality so  none of them sounds or looks the same. 




The aerophones of Taonga puoro:

The main aerophones of Taonga puoro are actually flutes and they are all built and sound different from one another: they can be made from wood or bone or can be played through a different number of holes.


The Koauau is the most appreciated flute because it has a unique tone quality that makes it different from other flutes. It’s open on both ends with three to six finger holes along the pipe. The material can be either made from wood or bone. The sound made on the Koauau is to mimic the sounds from an empty cocoon of the case moth. Below is a video of Horomona Horo playing the Koauau.



The Putatara is a conch shell that has many roles: to announce the birth of a child, to signal people for some type of formal learning, like classes, or it could be used for ritual use. The shell is very rare, as it only washes up on beaches in the far North of New Zealand. It also looked at as a gift of the God of the Sea, indicating it is very special! Below is a video of a workshop of the traditional Maori instruments but he's going in depth about the Putatara.


The last aerophone instrument that I wanted to discuss is the Pukaea. Now I know I said all the aerophones of the Taonga puoro are flutes but the Pukaea is not a flute, it is actually a trumpet! Not like the typical brass trumpet but a traditional Maori instrument! The Pukaea trumpet is made of wood and comes in many different designs and lengths. It was used as a way to welcome people, announce events of a ritual, and to signal when war was arising. It is still used today and can be heard welcoming the visitors or the opening and closing at ceremonies. Below is a video of a Pukaea being played!

The Haka

I was really excited to do this blog because I really wanted to delve into the Haka. I remember the first time I watched one on YouTube and I immediately bawled my eyes out. The message behind the dance is so emotional but watching everyone perform it together makes it powerful. Alright I'm done fangirling. Let's move on shall we? The Haka is a dance that involves the entire body to create heavy powerful movements such as swaying, slapping on the chest and thighs, stomping, and any gesture that can strike out as violent and powerful. It is mainly performed by men but over the years women are allowed to participate as well. The Haka originated from Tane-rore who is the son of the Sun God, Tami-nui-te-ra, and his wife, Hine-raumati. It was said that the Maori saw a shadow of air dancing in the summer, indicating he was dancing for his mom. This light yet fast movement represented the dance of Haka. Traditionally, the haka was performed when two parties encountered or when there was a new visitor. It is now used for weddings, birthdays, funerals, or as a way to show high respect for someone. Below is a video of one of my many favorite Hakas and one of the most emotional. This Haka was performed by the students as a tribute to teacher named Dawson Tamatea who passed away.


Works Cited:

Haka. (n.d.). Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/art/haka

Maori. (n.d.). Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://www.everyculture.com/wc/Mauritania-to-Nigeria/Maori.html

Māori musical instruments. (2020, October 27). Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/discover-collections/read-watch-play/maori/maori-musical-instruments

New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu Taonga. (2017, July 05). Māori musical instruments – taonga puoro. Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://teara.govt.nz/en/maori-musical-instruments-taonga-puoro#:~:text=Taonga%20puoro%20(traditional%20M%C4%81ori%20musical,from%20the%20world%20of%20Rangi.

Taonga pūoro. (2021, February 01). Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taonga_p%C5%ABoro

Traditional Maori-music FROM NEW-ZEALAND. (n.d.). Retrieved February 05, 2021, from https://www.logosfoundation.org/moniek/etnische_muziek/maori_eng.html

Comments

  1. Kimberly LeoneFebruary 5, 2021 at 11:49 AM

    I enjoyed learning about the haka. Before I watched the video I didn’t know what to expect, but you were not kidding when you said it was extremely powerful! It's amazing how versatile this dance is that it can be used for weddings, birthdays, or even funerals. It is interesting to learn how different cultures respect those who have passed away because it is not always what we may be used to.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anabella WalkerFebruary 5, 2021 at 2:11 PM

    I really enjoyed learning about the Haka, Tisha! The video you shared was so powerful, it's so amazing to see how everyone comes together and the different traditions that are important to each culture. Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Aimee BoudreauFebruary 5, 2021 at 11:03 PM

    I really enjoyed reading this, Tisha. It think its interesting how every aerophone is unique and how they have so many! Also, I enjoyed learning more about the Haka!

    ReplyDelete

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