Te Waipounamu Maori Arts Festival

Tu Tangata, Issue 27, 1 December 1985, Page 4

Te Waipounamu Maori Arts Festival

Twenty two cultural teams with an average of thirty members each, demonstrated on Labour weekend that waiata-a-ringa is flourishing in Te Waipounamu. The occasion was Te Waipounamu Maori Arts Festival, this year at Marlborough Boys’ College in Blenheim.

If it was just a matter of competition and results this year it would be Te Kotahitanga from Otautahi, whose junior, intermediate and senior club teams dominated the placings.

However the hui which this year attracted over a thousand people is much more than that. It's the hours and hours of preparation of items, costume and most of all on the day, getting the mind, soul and body into harmony.

That some teams were old hands at this competition stuff and others were first timers matters little on the day. The occasion with supporters yelling encouragement brought most participants to the edge of their performance.

The six judges had to judge different sections: choral; entrance and exit; whaikorero; ancient waiata; action song; poi; leadership; haka; costume; and aggregate points.

Junior teams were: Te Rongopai; Wairua Whakahau; Te Kotahitanga; Te Huinga Rangatahi; Te Arohanui; Te Roopu O Kawarau; Nga Tuahuriri; Kia Ngawari; Omaka-Honomai.

Intermediate teams were: Te Rongopai; Te Waipounamu College; Te Kaihanga; Wairua Whakahau; Te Kotahitaga.

Senior teams were: Te Atawhai; Te Kotahitanga; Te Roopu O Kawarau; Te Rongopai; E Tipu E Rea; Nga Potiki; Kia

Ngawari; Nga Tuahuriri; Nga Hau E Wha. Results: Intermediate Choral Te Kotahitanga; Entrance and Exit Te Kotahitanga; Whaikorero Te Kotahitanga; Ancient Waitata Te Kotahitanga; Action Song and Poi Rongopai; Haka Te Kotahitanga; Leadership and Costume Te Kotahitanga; Aggregate First Te Kotahitanga; Second Te Rongapai; Third Te Kaihanga, Whakahau, Te Waipounamu Girls College. Results: Senior Choral Nga Potiki and Te Kotahi-

tanga; Entrance and Exit Nga Potiki; Whaikorero Nga Hau E Wha; Ancient Waiata Te Kotahitanga; Action Song Te Kotahitanga, Nga Potiki; Poi Nga Potiki, Nga Hau E Wha; Haka Taparahi Te Kotahitanga, Nga Hau E Wha; Haka Taiaha Nga Potiki; Haka Leader Te Kotahitanga; Female Leader Nga Potiki, Te Kotahitanga; Costume Nga Potiki; Original Item Nga Potiki; Overall Club Aggregate Points Te Kotahitanga; Groups Aggregate Points First Nga Potiki; Second Te Kotahitanga; Third Nga Hau E Wha.