Karanga are calls performed by women on the marae, usually to welcome visitors.

This karanga was recorded on October 7, 1963, at the annual celebration of the coronation of King Koroki at Turangawaewae, Ngaruawahia. It was performed by a Waikato woman during a pōwhiri, or welcome, for visitors from Ngāpuhi and Ngāiterangi tribes.

The visitors are greeted as representatives of the tribes to which they belong. As they approach, their hosts mourn for those on both sides who have died, and especially those whose deaths have occurred since the last such meeting took place.

Visitors then address the ancestral house, and farewell the dead, and the chants become entwined.

Haere mai rā e kui mai, e horo mā i te pō Come old women, old men from the underworld Karanga rā te tupuna whare hi te kāhui pani Call, ancestral house, to those who mourn Huhuingia mai rā o tātou mate hia tangihia i te rā nei Gather our dead to be wept over today Ki nga iwi e, karanga ā! Call to the tribes!

For more details, see here. Karanga

Thanks to Mervyn McLean for permission to use his archive recording,and details from McLean and Orbell, Traditional Songs of the Maori, 1975

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Wecoming the living - action songs

The karanga for the dead clears a spiritual pathway between the hosts and the visitors. The living guests can then be welcomed. There are many Maori songs of welcome, most with similar ritual words. Here is one by Sir Apirana Ngata, father of the action song.
Listen to The Ngata Memorial College in this 96 K MP3 sound clip of the 1st verse (all three verses have the same tune).

Sir Apirana Ngata, 1920s

Haere mai E nga iwi haere mai Mauria mai te aroha Ki te marae e Karanga ra ki nga ope tuarangi Kua eke nei Ki te marae e te iwi e Kia ora ra Ki nga iwi e tau e Mauria mai te aroha Ki te marae e Kia ora.

Welcome all iwi welcome Bring forth your love to the marae. Call us the visiting groups from afar who have arrived onto the marae, O people. Good health to every iwi here Bring forth your love to the marae. Good health.

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Ngoi Pewhairangi & Dalvanius Prime, 1985

As sung by Cara Pewhairangi and the Patea Māori Club.
From the 1985 Dalvanius Prime/Ngoi Pewhairangi production Poi-E The Musical.
Cara is Ngoi Pewhairangi's grandaughter.
Listen to this 168 K MP3 sound clip of a line of the chorus (all four lines are the same) and of the 1st verse (all three verses have the same tune).

Haere mai, nau mai, e ngā iwi e Haere mai, nau mai, e ngā iwi e HAERE MAI, haere mai, E NGā IWI, HAERE MAI Mauria mai Te aroha ki te marae e. 1 KIA ORA Rā, kia ora rā,2 KI NGā OPE TūāRANGI Kua eke nei 3 Ki tōu marae, e te iwi e. KARANGA Rā, karanga rā, KI NGā OPE - E TAU NEI - 4 Kua eke nei Ki tōu marae, e te iwi e. Haere mai, nau mai, e ngā iwi e Haere mai, nau mai, e ngā iwi e Kia ora rā.

Welcome, welcome to all Iwi Welcome, welcome, to all Iwi WELCOME, welcome TO ALL IWI, WELCOME Bring forth Your love to the marae. BID GOOD HEALTH, good health TO THE GROUPS WHO HAVE TRAVELLED FROM AFAR who have arrived onto your marae, 0 people. CALL OUT, cry out TO THE VISITING GROUPS ASSEMBLED HERE - who have arrived onto your marae, 0 people. Welcome, welcome everybody Welcome, welcome everybody Good health

Notes

1. The words "te aroha" are sung as "t'yaroha."
2. The words "kia ora" are sung as "kya ora."
3. The words "kua eke nei" are sung as "kwa e-ke nay."
4. Rikihana has "e tau e" but on the Pewhairangi CD track they sing "e tau nei"

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Inia te Wiata, 1966

The song is possibly older than this, but I found this on Inia te Wiata's Waiata Māori, a festival of Māori song
Listen to operatic bass singer Inia te Wiata and the NZ Maori Theatre Chorus in this 1966 recording, which has recently been re-released on CD by Kiwi Pacific International (Wellington CD SLC 225).
This is a brief 204 K MP3 sound clip of the 1st verse.

Haere mai, haere mai E ngā iwi e haere mai Ki runga o te marae Hui mai tātou katoa E hine mā, e tama mā Hapainga to mana Māori e Kia rewa runga rawa I a ha hā E ngā iwi e Haere mai, haere mai. Tahi miti toru e Tae te marumaru Whare tapu teitei Te ao korowhiti Tenei au e te tū hawerewere Te ao wahine Rū rū tāwhai tāwhai

Welcome, welcome all the tribes welcome onto the courtyard all of us gathered here. Young women, young men uplift your Maori prestige to float on high I a ha ha All the tribes Welcome welcome. First one then later three weapons as a protection for the lofty sacred house known throughout the world This be I standing alert noticed by all women and all things tremble.

Notes

Usually the Haere mai verse is sung, then repeated raised one key up, then the Tahi mihi chant performed as a contrasting bridge, then finished with the Haere mai verse again.

Rikihana says in his book Waiata Maori that the precise meaning of the Tahi mihi chant unknown, but that one informant told him it could be a "waiata whaiwhaia," a chant used to cast a spell which keeps enemies away.

Rikihana draws attention to the song Pā Mai written in Hawkes Bay to encourage young men to enlist in the Army in World War 2, which includes the first four lines of the same chant.

Play this 144 K MP3 1999 pop version of Pa Mai, by Maisey Rika.

Pā mai tō reo aroha Ki te pā o (. . . . . . ) E ngā iwi o Aotearoa Haere mai, haere mai. Tahi miti toru e Tae te marumaru Whare tapu (topa?) teitei Te ao korowhiti Haere mai, haere mai. Titiro ki nga hoia kua wehi nei Aue te aroha me te mamae E nga iwi o Aotearoa Kia kaha kia manawanui

Your voice of love reaches the army base of (an area significant to you) People of new Zealand Come hither, come hither. First one then later three weapons as a protection for the lofty sacred (soaring) house known throughout the world Come hither, come hither. Look at the soldiers departing from us alas the love and the pain. To the people of New Zealand, Be strong, be patient

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Sam Freedman, 1952

Freedman's song was designed to welcome tourists, with an "doodly-doo, doodly-doo," echo-the-leader style of tune which was popular in the 1950s, (Ha E Re Mai - "Ha Airy My," Ev'rything is ka pai -"Ev'rything is k'pie") and with a few phrases of Maori well-known to Pakeha of the time, haere mai, ka pai (good), pai kare ("by golly").

Published in 1952, it was perhaps written to welcome Queen Elizabeth II who had just been crowned, and who was scheduled to do a Royal Tour of New Zealand in 1953 ("Throughout the land, we want to shake your hand").

1. Ha-ere Mai! Ev'ry-thing is ka pai! You're here at last, You're really here at last. 2. Ha-ere Mai! Not a cloud in the sky, To coin a phrase, This is the "day of days". Bridge.       You're welcome as the sunshine,       You're welcome as a king!       Pai kare! This is one time       We'll really have a fling! 3. Ha-ere Mai! Ev'rything is ka pai! Throughout the land, We want to shake your hand, Coda.       Ha-ere Mai!       We're proud of you, that's why.       Ha-ere Mai!       Ha-ere Mai!

And here is the sheet music.

Maori Lyrics by Sam Kareti

Kareti's less well-known lyrics for Freedman's song are written in simple Maori phrases, to greet Maori guests. It should be sung more slowly and with more feeling than the English version.

1. Ha-ere Mai! Te manuhiri e! Kua tae mai koe, Ki te tautoko e. 2. Ha-ere Mai! Tena ra koe e hoa. Ka nui te koa Te kitenga i a koe Bridge.       Mauria mai te aroha       Me nga aitua e       Kia tangihia e tatou       Kia ea ai nga mate 3. Ha-ere Mai! E manaaki nei e Matou i a koe No reira kia ora Coda.       Ha-ere Mai!       Nau mai ra e hoa!       Ha-ere Mai!       Ha-ere Mai!

Come hither visitor! You have arrived to give (your) support. Come hither! You are here friend. Great is the happiness at seeing you.       Bring love       in these troubled times.       We are all weeping       that the dead may be satisfied. Come hither, you have bestowed prestige on us. We say to you once again "Kia ora."       Come hither!       Welcome friend!       Come hither!       Come hither!

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Page made March 25th 2003, for Thea Daniel, who left her marae 16 years ago to migrate to Australia.
Tidied up 27 June 2003. Freedman song added 13 July 2003.