Music

  

Māori music

   New Zealand’s musical heritage dates back to the arrival of the first Māori in Aotearoa. Musical traditions, in the form of waiata (songs) and haka (dance), were passed down from generation to generation and grew from their Polynesian roots.

   The ancient Maori folk music was composed almost entirely of songs, waiata, divided into several groups according to their style and ritual or social function.

Music haka

   “haka” is describes as a composition played by many instruments. Hands, feet, legs, body, voice, tongue, and eyes all play their part in blending together to convey in their fullness the challenge, welcome, exultation, defiance or contempt of the words.

Today, the music composed and performed by Māori not only includes and draws on traditional waiata and haka, but also includes rock and roll, soul, reggae, R&B and hip hop.

Richard Nunns 

   One of the biggest contributors to Māori music and New Zealand’s foremost authority on taonga pūoro is Richard Nunns. He began his musical journey playing jazz, but very soon discovered the rich tradition of native New Zealand music. he has re-introduced many New Zealanders to their musical heritage.

   Instruments as flutes, wooden trumpets, and percussion instruments are used to interpret the maori music. These instruments are made of bone, wood, pounamu and stone, you can now be heard again in recordings and performances.