Singer Inia Te Wiata Is Gaining Fame

Chronicle (Levin), 22 December 1949, Page 2

Singer Inia Te Wiata Is Gaining Fame

Thb latest news of the former Otaki bass singer, Inia. Te Wiata, is contained in the foliowing extracts from a letter writteh to an Otaki friend by his New Zealand manager, Mr. J. Grant, of Onehunga, who extends the season's greetings to his. many friends in Otaki and district: "Inia sang at a very notable concert . in Brighton for the Brighton and Hove Musical Society, which4' was arranged by Trinity College. He sang six songs in two torackets namely, "I Am A Roamer" toy Mendelssohn, "In Diesen Heilgen Hallen" by Mozart, "Ich .Grolle Nicht" by Schumann, "Odu, Mein Holder Abendstern" by Wagner, "When A Maiden Takes Your Fancy" by Mozart, and "The Song Of The Flea" by Moussorgsky. "I know you will recognise the significance of these items and must give Inia credit for his immense progress towards his objective. "I have just received a, letter with a cutting from one of the papers and it shows two photos of exhibits which appear in New. Zealand House, London, one of these being the sculptured head of Inia, the work of James O. Hall. It is a wonderful piece of sculpturing and the fact remains that Inia has become quite famous in more ways than one, all of which helpg to give him publicity. By the time he has finished his studies he will be placed in a very prominent position for the start of his great adventure in the musical sphere. "I fully believe that it won't be long before we hear his fine voice in Maori records, for I have sent every available Maori song I could get my hands on for this very purpose. Time and time again he has sung his beloved Maori songs at selected* functi'ons, and these have been received with terrific applause. "Inia made history when he sung two Maori songs over. the television not so long ago, and I feel sure that when he does make the recordings mentioned it wi-ll bring the Maori people before the world in a way that will be quite a sensation. # "Very powerful friends have gathered round Inia in England and he has become very popular, not only for his * singing but for the splendid talks he has given over the BBC, and in schools and other selected places, about " the ' Maori people and New Zealand."