Mā Te Kahukura - Lyrics Video - Waiata Māori Song

The waiata 'Mā te Kahukura' was composed by Hōhepa Tamehana for a play staged at Takirua Māori Theatre in Wellington, adapted from his sister Esther Tamehana's book, 'He Kahurere.' Hōhepa was tasked with adding music to a part of the play, receiving a last-minute call from the director while at work as a teacher, requesting the music and waiata by day's end. In a remarkable 20 minutes, Hōhepa, penned and recorded the waiata on a four-stringed guitar and dispatched it to Wellington via courier.

During the play, Hōhepa, Kepa, and Sophronia Smith provided live backing vocals, Hōhepa says “they made the waiata famous, they were better singers than me”. Hōhepa went on to teach 'Mā te Kahukura' to Whānau Whānui, who performed it as their choral piece during the Ngāti Kahungunu Regionals in 1999. Today, this waiata has become renowned nationwide, symbolising the moment when Roimata, a young girl in the play, takes feathers from her cloak and binds them to a manu (bird)."


This version of the Mā Te Kahukura song is performed by the Western Bay District Māori Group

Links:
Apple Music - coming soon
Spotify - coming soon

www.waiatamaori.nz - coming soon

Lyrics:

Mā te kahukura ka rere te manu

Mā ngā huruhuru nei

Ka rere koe

Rere runga rawa rā e

Kia tae atu koe ki te taumata

Whakatau mai rā e

Mau ana taku aroha

Whai ake i ngā whetu

Rere tōtika rere pai

Rere runga rawa rā e

Mā te kahukura ka rere te manu

Mā ngā huruhuru nei

Ka rere koe

Rere runga rawa rā e

Kia tae atu koe ki te taumata

Whakatau mai rā e

Mau ana taku aroha

Whai ake i ngā whetu

Rere tōtika rere pai

Rere runga rawa rā e

Rere totika rere pai

Rere runga rawa ra e


Composer:
Hōhepa Tamehana

Music and Performers
Western Bay District Māori Group

Production
Abraham Kunin

Produced by Bradley Walker
Kōtuku Records
and Adrenalin Group

Video by SupaVision www.supavision.co.nz

While every effort is made to have this information correct, we cannot guarantee accuracy.