‘We’re here to tell stories of home’
Historic kapa haka group gearing up for Te Matatini show at Eden Park
Renowned for topping the NZ singles chart in the 80s with their hit classic Poi E, Pātea Māori Club descendants and whānau kapa haka group Aotea Ū tanganui are returning to the national stage at Te Matatini after a long absence.
Aotea Ū tanganui base themselves at Pariroa Pā in Pātea and are a culmination of whānau from across the local iwi of Ngāti Ruanui and Ngā Ruahinerangi. Their name was given by esteemed Mā ori radio broadcaster Rocky Hudson to replace their former name, ‘South Taranaki’.
“We’ve been going ever since the first Polynesian Festival in 1972,” said Patricia ‘Nan Bib’ Ngarewa, kuia of the team.
Te Matatini is on until Saturday, February 25, at Eden Park in Auckland, with 50,000 people expected to pass through the gates during the three-day national kapa haka festival.
Kaihaka Tūheimoa Maruera said the group’s nerves were settling in.
“But I’m sure it’s like that for everyone. We’re happy to return to our stage, our tūrangawaewae. Te Matatini is the pinnacle of what we call a place to plant our feet.”
Aotea Ū tanganui last represented the region at the 1998 Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Festival in Trentham, but has remained a powerhouse group within the district.
“We’re going to Te Matatini to tell
our stories of home, like kō rero of our ancestress Rongorongo and even the historical accounts handed down by our own te reo Māori stalwarts, the late Dr Te Huirangi Waikerepuru and the late Koro Rocky Hudson, who really gave their time to teach this group about our history and whakapapa,” said Maruera.
Tama Pokai, a member of Aotea Utanganui, ¯ said the kaupapa this year was about drawing people back home.
“We’ve seen decline in numbers and a sense of loneliness here at our marae. So attracting people back home is a goal of ours this year.”
Their stand this year at Te Matatini is to let the world know about the stories of the Aotea people,¯and to let everyone know that Aotea Utanganui is here tōstay.
Aotea Utanganui qualified for Te Matatini as the ‘tuakana’ team of South Taranaki.
The Te Kāhui Maunga kapa haka region streches from Mō kau in North Taranaki to as far down as Marton and up through to the central plateau.
In March 2020, just a few days before the regional kapa haka competition was meant to be held in Hāwera, the Te Kāhui Maunga Society Incorporated, made up of regional representatives, called the competition off due to the looming possibility of a major Covid-19 lockdown — which was announced by former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern two days later.
The lockdown and the months following prompted the senior members of the region to decide how the region would be best represented at Te Matatini in Auckland.
They took the results from the previous regional competition in 2018 and collated four teams based on the qualification placings.
Aotea Ū tanganui placed fourth, followed by North Taranaki group Ngā Purapura O Te Tai Hauāuru, Whanganui group Te Matapihi and six-time regional champions Te Reanga Morehu O Rātana. Although at the time of that event Aotea Ū tanganui didn’t qualify for the Te Matatini following, a vote was put in to include them in the 2023 list to complete the representation of each section of the Te Kāhui Maunga region.
We’ve been going ever since the first Polynesian Festival in 1972. Patricia ‘Nan Bib’ Ngarewa