Whāngarei-Mai-Tawhiti take out top spot at Kapa Haka

Whāngarei-Mai-Tawhiti take out top spot at Kapa Haka Super 12s

Reigning Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Kapa Haka Super 12s champions Whāngarei-Mai-Tawhiti took out the title for the fifth time running at The Cloud in Auckland today, winning a top prize of $12,000.

The Whāngarei team’s performance, as part of Matariki Festival 2016, was a typically clever and cheeky piece of contemporary kapa haka with everything from hula-hoop piupiu and white helium balloons as poi, through to kitchen brooms used as taiaha.

Second place went to Auckland’s Te Wharekura o Mangere, followed closely by Kahurangi ki Uta from Papakura High School in third place.

For the first time this year Te Wananga o Aotearoa Kapa Haka Super 12s, which celebrates excellence and innovation in the traditional Māori performing art of kapa haka, invited secondary schools to take on and compete against adult teams.

For Super 12s, teams are given creative licence to produce a high energy stage performance based on their own unique interpretation of traditional Māori performing arts including poi, waiata and haka.

Chair of Auckland Council’s Arts Committee Alf Filipaina says the Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Kapa Haka Super 12s is always one of the main highlights of the Matariki Festival and this year was no different.

“This mix of both adult and youth rōpū brought something extra special to this year’s competition.

“Teams displayed an impressive level of talent, enthusiasm and energy and were able to showcase traditional art of kapa haka and Māori culture in a fresh, creative and innovative way. Ka pai everyone who competed,” he says.

Hone Paul, Executive Director Marketing for Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, says partnering with Auckland Council for Super 12s is an exciting relationship that will continue to grow as the festival does.

“This is an amazing opportunity to celebrate the Māori New Year with Auckland’s young people, their whānau and the wider community.”

The month-long Matariki Festival in Auckland features more than 100 events and will run through until July 17.

www.matarikifestival.org.nz #matariki16

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