Te Matatini

Te Matatini is a biennial festival and competition celebrating the cultural dance of the Māori people of New Zealand. The festival generally takes place over a three- or four-day interval and includes competition in a variety of specific forms of Māori song and dance.

Background

Te Matatini is a national Māori Performing arts festival in which Kapa Haka performers from all around Aotearoa (New Zealand) and Ahitereiria (Australia) come together to compete for the noble and honour of winning the Te Matatini festival. The name was given by Professor Wharehuia Milroy, a composite of Te Mata meaning the face and tini denoting many — hence the meaning of Te Matatini is many faces.

The Te Matatini festival is held every two years in different regions of New Zealand. Authority (mana) is given to different tribes (iwi) to host the festival. For example, in 2013 the mana was given to Ōtautahi on behalf of the Rotorua (Te Arawa) region.

Mead (2003) explains, Mana is undergone by a set of rules before it is given, the people or person in charge has to accept these constraints and strive to rise above them in order to do the job that is set before them.

Te Matatini is seen as playing a very important role within Maoridom in promoting the tikanga of the Māori culture and Kapa Haka. It provides a valuable experience for the people of New Zealand and others from all around the world, with the festival attracting up to 30,000 participants and spectators. Te Matatini celebrates the Maori culture, its beauty, and its core values. Kapa Haka is a form of Maori identity and contributes to New Zealand being unique.

The Te Matatini Society is the driving force behind Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival. Initially emerging in the late 1960s, it has evolved into the sponsor of a variety of Maori festivals and Polynesian events. The society in its current form was established in 1972 and has focused on the long term nurturing of Maori performing arts.[1]

The Competition

Day 1 - Pōwhiri by the Tangata Whenua

All Kapa Haka performers, supporters, dignitaries and visitors are welcomed by the local hosts.

Days 2, 3 and 4 – Pool Rounds

Day 5 – The Finals (Te Matangirua) -The finalists are judged anew to determine third, second and the new Toa Whakaihuwaka (overall winner of the competition)

Kapa Haka teams are required to perform six disciplines within their performance piece - whakaeke (a choreographed entry), mōteatea (traditional chant), poi (light ball swung on the end of a rope), waiata-ā-ringa (action song), haka and whakawātea (exit). They must perfect every discipline in a polished 25-minute performance.

Each performance is judged against set criteria, by expert judges, appointed from around New Zealand. Taonga (trophies) are awarded to the team with the highest score in the seven compulsory (aggregate) categories (the six disciplines mentioned and the seventh category, Te Reo Maori - the use and clarity of the Maori language) Further taonga are awarded across non compulsory (non-aggregate) categories such as Kaitātaki Wahine (Best Female Leader), Kaitātaki Tāne (Best Male Leader) and Kākahu (Costume). The top three teams with the highest combined marks in their competition pool will compete in the Competition Finals.

Disciplines

The performances are made up of the following disciplines:

Past Winners of Te Matatini

Year Roopu (Group) Location
2015 Te Whanau a Apanui Ōtautahi (Christchurch)
2013 Te Waka Huia Rotorua
2011 Te Mātārae i Ōrehu Te Tairāwhiti (Gisborne)
2009 Te Waka Huia Mt. Maunganui
2007 Whangarā Mai Tawhiti Rangitāne
2005 Te Whanau-a-Apanui Rangitāne
2002 Waihirere Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland)
2000 Te Mātārae i Ōrehu Ngaruawahia
1998 Waihirere Trentham (Upper Hutt)
1996 Ngāti Rangiwewehi Rotorua
1994 Te Waka Huia Hawera (Taranaki)
1992 Te Waka Huia Ngaruawahia
1990 Te Roopu Manutaki Waitangi
1988 Waihirere Whangarei
1986 Te Waka Huia Ōtautahi (Christchurch)
1983 Ngāti Rangiwewehi Hastings
1981 Taniwharau Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland)
1979 Waihirere Gisborne
1977 Te Kotahitanga o Waitaha Te Tairāwhiti (Gisborne)
1975 Te Roopu Manutaki Whangarei
1973 Mawai Hakona Rotorua
1972 Waihirere Rotorua

Video links

Kapa Haka groups from Te Matatini 09

Kapa Haka Disciplines

Footnotes

  1. Te Matatini Society, "Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival," Bay of Plenty Times, February, 19-22, 2009, pg. 8.

Further reading

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/28/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.