A triumph of art, a triumph of manaakitanga and a triumph of budgeting.
That's the verdict on Te Matatini ki Te Ao 2019 from Te Matatini chief executive Carl Ross.
He says it was a great achievement to get 1840 performers from 46 roopu on stage at Wellington's Westpac Stadium.
The organisation was able to feed 1200 kaumātua, get more than 3000 school children from school kapa in to see their heroes on stage, and draw an average of 19,000 paying spectators a day to the Caketin.
Despite the torrential rain at the festival end, he says in almost 30 years of performing in and watching the competition it was the best yet.
"Having the opportunity to watch the teams over the years I think this is the highest standard I have ever seen. That goes for everything – the sound, the choreography, the fitness of the performers. This is athletics at its best, kapa haka at its best. This is the highest standard it's ever been," Mr Ross says.
He says Te Matatini has an objective to take kapa haka to the world, so bigger venues like the Caketin and Auckland's Eden Park are increasingly necessary.
!["p_facebook"]("/site/uma/images/story_img/facebook.jpg")
& !["p_twitter"]("/site/uma/images/story_img/twitter.jpg")
Copyright © 2019, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
