June 23, 2016
Hard taskmaster created Poi E legend
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Poi E's success not only in New Zealand but around the world has been a source of great pride for the people of south Taranaki, and now its story is being shared by filmmaker Te Arepa Kahi.
Poi E The Movie has its world premiere next month in Auckland on the opening night of the New Zealand International Film Festival.
It features interviews with many of the surviving members, including Sydney and Anne Kershaw, who joined the club in 1967.
That was soon after Napi Waaka moved to the area as a Methodist minister and set up a kapa haka so people could learn about their culture and history and celebrate their language.
Mr Kershaw says when he moved on, Sam Prime took over as coach followed by his younger brother Dalvanius Prime, a successful musician who had the vision of combining kapa haka with dance music.
The chance came when a song he wrote with Ngoi Pewhairangi won first equal in the poi section of the national Maori peforming arts competiton.
"Then he got us together and members of the group travelled from various areas to Auckland to record Poi E. He was a hard man, a very hard man, but he got things together. He knew what he was doing," Mr Kershaw says.
Tickets for the Auckland festival go on sale tomorrow.
As well as the July 14 premiere at the Civic in Auckland, Poi E: The Movie will open the Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin festivals.
FULL INTERVIEW: SYDNEY & ANNE KERSHAW
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