Waiata Maori Music Awards - Maori Music Expo

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Maori Music Expo

Well-known entertainer Frankie Stevens and the co-founder of the famous Maori Volcanics showband will be two of the feature speakers at the National Waiata Maori Music Expo being held in Hawke’s Bay next month.

The expo is being held in conjunction with the National Waiata Maori Music Awards from September 7-8. The expo will be run from 9am to 3pm on each day at the Hawke’s bay Opera House in Hastings.

Stevens is also the recipient of a Maori Music Industry Award this year, recognizing his contribution to the music industry over five decades, while Peters is the recipient of the Lifetime Contribution to Maori Music Award.

Theses nominated awards are not judged, but selected to highlight the work of past and presenter performers, singers and songwriters.

They will accept the awards, during the awards ceremony on the night of September 8, but will also share their experience and advice on the morning of the second day of the expo, and the expo’s contemporary music industry panel event.

Others penciled in to speak on the panel include Ardijah, Moana Maniapoto and Waiata Maori Music Awards ambassador Taisha Tari.

It will also include organisations such as the New Zealand Music Commission, APRA, Te Mangai Paho and Toi Maori to name a few.

On first day of the expo there will be a Maori music workshop in the morning, focusing on traditional Maori music instruments, and in the afternoon there will be a panel discussion on traditional Maori music.

Those earmarked to present the traditional panel include violinist Elena and kapa haka expert John Tapene, who is an original member of the Auckland Anglican Maori Club initiated by the late Sir Kingi Ihaka in the late 1960s.

Other presenters will include Waiata Maori Music finalists and leaders of kapa haka and arts groups throughout Aotearoa.

Another feature will be the national hand games competition, involving three traditional Maori hand games, Whakaropiropirangi Ai; Whai and Hei Tama, Tu Tama.

Maori Music Expo co-ordinator Jo-anne Walters says another feature will be the revival of the National Maori Handgames.

“We normally hold the hand games as part of our Matariki celebrations but this year we are going to hold the games during the music expo.

“We are to focus on the three main hand games, Whakaropiropirangi Ai, Whai and Hei Tama Tu Tama.

“We’re also running a workshop on ukulele on the second day of the expo this year, which we hope will build momentum towards another attempt at breaking the Guinness Book of Record attempt at the most ukulele played at one time.”

Last year’s attempt at the Hawke’s Bay Opera House in November produced 753 strummers but the record to beat was 851.

The expo this year will also include entertainment from Hawke’s Bay primary and secondary schools which performed in the regional kapa haka competitions earlier this year.

“We are celebrating talented youth this year and there is youth outside of Hawke’s Bay that we want to get involved in the expo,” Jo-anne says.

ENDS

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