Te Hautonga Whakataetae Kapahaka mō ngā Kura Tuarua nō ngā Rohe o Murihiku/Otākou 2019

Wairua Pūhou have spent over a year preparing for the regional Te Hautonga kapa haka competition which took place in Invercargill over last weekend. 44 students and five teachers travelled south on Friday to prepare for the competition which took place on Sunday.

The group has been practising tirelessly every weekend and over a number of noho weekends. Grateful thanks to Matua Mac Te Ngahue and all the tutors for their commitment to the group. The resulting performance on Sunday took us to the next level of kapa haka performance, resulting in the following placings:

Second overall, by a narrow margin of three points only, to He Waka Kōtuia (Queen’s and Kings’ combined kapa haka)

Kākahu (Costume) 3rd=

Waiata Tira (Choral) 1st=

Kaitātaki Wahine (Female lead) 1st=

Kaitātaki Tāne (Male lead) 2nd

Whakawātea (Exit) 1st =

Haka 2nd

Waiata ā ringa (Action song) 1st=

Poi 1st=

Mōteatea (Traditional chant) 1st=

Whakaeke (Entrance) 1st=

Reo Māori (Language) 2nd

These were astounding, hard-won and well-deserved results and this allows the group to progress again to the National Kapa Haka competition in Wellington next year. The performance was live-streamed and you can see it here at 1:38 on the video: https://ngaitahu.iwi.nz/

Thanks also to Matua Mac Te Ngāhue, Ms Bridget Davidson Whaea Alvina Brown, Whaea Joe Hunter, Ms Jo Nielson, Mr Eugene Shields and our tutors Rico Mita-Wātene Keegan Henman and Maumahara Lewis Kātene Horsfall for all their work that has gone into supporting the group to achieve what they did and also to the troupe of supporters and parents who came down.

As one young student said at our latest weekly practice session,

“ I want to thank our tutors. I didn’t know much about Māori things before I started here, or how to actually be Māori, and now you’ve helped me to be who I am.”

Kei runga noa atu Wairua Pūhou, Ka rawe!!