This CD was recorded to mark Kiri Te Kanawa's 50th birthday at the Royal Albert Hall, London in 1995. It is is uniquely beautiful, combining traditional folk rhythms and vocal arrangements with contemporary European-derived melodies.

The songs were mostly written by Maori composers in the early years of the 20th century. They combine melodies from the European popular music tradition with Maori vocal and instrumental stylings that sound like no other music on earth. Male and female voices sing different vocal lines, in unison or in sequence, sometimes in contrasting moods.

It is unabashedly sentimental. 1920s Maori love song lyrics, and Edwardian "parlour piano" melodies have been arranged and sung here with opera-style lushness. The songs are sung with one verse repeated several times, and so the stories in the other verses are lost, and thus the CD lacks the full strength of Maori sensibility. But it is beautiful to listen to. And it has attracted hundreds of people to this web site of mine, so they can learn more about our Maori songs.

Mihi nui to Kiri, Max, Hinemoana and all the rest of you fullas in the recording team.

I have lyrics, translations and information to many of Kiri's tracks:

1. Hine E Hine
2. The Locust
3. Moe Mai E Hine Lyrics and translation only
4. Hoea Ra
5. Matangi
6. Huri Huri
7. E Papa Waiari
8. Ara Ka Titiro
9. Hoki Hoki
10. Now Is The Hour
11. Piki Mai
12. Haere Ra E Hine
13. E Pari Ra
14. Akoako E Te Rangi - you are here already!
15. Tahi Nei Taro Kino
16. Pokarekare Ana

Emira Maewa Kaihau

(b.1879 - d.19??) Maewa Kaihau was born Louisa Flavell at Whangaroa, in Northland. She is said to have descended from French nobles fleeing the French Revolution, and a musician from the court of the Austrian Emperor.

On her mother's side she was a direct descendant of Nga Puhi chief Hone Hika of Ngati Rahiri and Ngati Rehia Hapü.

Maewa married Henare Kaihau, the Maori Member of Parliament representing Western Maori until 1920. Maewa was musically gifted and she played the piano and sang. She was also well known for her reading of poetry. She wrote Akoako o te Rangi in 1918.

In 1920 Maewa wrote Haere Ra Waltz song. She set her words to Po Atarau, an old and favourite song from the Ratana church hymn book. Over the next ten years the song became a wharfside farewell favourite for passenger ships, and eventually gained worldwide popularity as Now is the Hour.

There is little information about how Maewa lived out the rest of her life, or where and when she died.