Kiwi Songs - Maori songs - Home

A waiata-a-ringa of welcome based on Psalm 121; "I lift up my eyes to the mountains—Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord." It is performed here by Sir Kingi's son, Tom Ihaka. He starts at 0:20 on the video, notice that he does not sing the second 'face the mountain' verse.       Nau mai! piki mai! e nga iwi e, nga reo, nga mana. Tena ra koutou katoa Ano te pai me te ahua reka Whakaaro tahi o te katoa Me anga atu nga kanohi ra Ki nga maunga kei reira te awhina. Ano te pai me te ahua reka Whakaro tahi o te katoa. Welcome, come on up here, everybody, representatives, leaders. Greetings to you all. It's so good, so pleasant for all to think as one. Let the direction of all faces be towards the mountains where all things are cherished. It's so good, so pleasant for all to think as one. Taku Toa TV performance This song was performed in 1973 in "Taku Toa," one of New Zealand TV's first colour musical productions. Kingi Ihaka was the technical director and the performers were adults from the Auckland Anglican Maori Club, girls from Queen Victoria School and boys from St. Stephen's School. The TV performance included traditional and contemporary Maori music, in part written by the Reverend Kingi Ihaka. Taku toa / Ihaka Hakas: Utaina ; Ka mate! Ka mate! Nau mai! Piki mai! / Ihaka Poi waka / trad. ; arr. Ihaka Hine e hine / Te Rangi Pai Poata ; arr. Ihaka Toia mai / trad Po karekare ana / ; arr. Ihaka Taku hia hia / Ihaka Mangu mangu taipo / trad. Po atarau ; arr. Ihaka. Archdeacon Sir Kingi Ihaka, MBE Interpreter, Anglican priest, broadcaster, songwriter, Maori language commissioner. Kingi Matutaera Ihaka was born at Te Kao, Northland, in 1921. His great-grandfather, Paraone Ngaruhe, signed the Treaty of Waitangi. Kingi's father was a prominent Anglican, a qualified interpreter, and a friend of Apirana Ngata. Kingi attended Te Kao Native School. In later life he recalled that as a child he saw few Pakeha other than his teacher and the district health nurse. In 1936 Kingi went to St Stephen's School, south of Auckland. In 1947 he entered St John's College, Auckland, to train for the Anglican ministry. In 1958 he was transferred to Wellington. He combined his ministry with the Red Cross, broadcasting and tutoring at Ngati Poneke Maori Club. He became well known for his compositions and direction of Maori cultural groups at competitions. In 1967 Ihaka was transferred to Auckland as Auckland Maori missioner. His other interests continued unabated and he was also involved with the Auckland Festival Society, Lions Club, Tourist Development Council, Polynesian Festival Committee. In 1970 he was appointed a justice of the peace and made an MBE. In 1981 he wrote Pukeko in a Punga Tree. From 1984 to 1987 Archdeacon Ihaka served as the first resident Maori minister in Sydney. Kingi Ihaka returned to New Zealand in 1987. He was knighted in 1989 for his services to the Maori people. In October 1990 he became the second Maori language commissioner. He defended the right of the New Zealand women's rugby team to perform a haka at Cardiff, saying that Ngati Porou and Waikato women had done so for many years. He died in 1993, aged 71. Full essay in DNZB Kiwi songs - Maori Songs - Home This web page was prepared in June 2005 for Angela Tracy in Brisbane. Video added in 2012