Singing hits beautiful note at kapa haka

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND - MARCH 08: Members of Whangara Mai Tawhiti from Gisborne perform during the Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival 2015 at Hagley Park on March 8, 2015 in Christchurch, New Zealand. (Photo by Martin Hunter/Getty Images)

Kapa haka fans have a big weekend ahead of them as the best groups in the country show what they’ve got on the stage at the Hawkes Bay Sports Arena which has been renamed Kahungunu  Arena for the event.

Lewis Whaitiri, who’s covering Te Matatini for Radio Waatea after several years living overseas including leading the London-based culture group Ngati Ranana, says it’s the place to get a sense of the evolution and current state of the Maori performing arts.

He was impressed with the way groups have worked on the quality of their singing.

"When it comes to kapa haka it's hard to be performing with 39 other people and trying to maintain a good note. Sometimes you go flat but not yesterday, everyone was on point, and it's good to hear the beautiful sounds coming from all the kapa haka," Mr Whaitiri says.

The tributes paid to leading kapa haka exponents and other Maori leaders who have died over the past couple of years added to the wairua of the event.

FULL INTERVIEW WITH LEWIS WHAITIRI

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