Taikura: Age is No Barrier

PRESS RELEASE
Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival 2007
Friday 16 February 2007

TAIKURA: AGE IS NO BARRIER

Performing Kapa Haka at the age of 55 plus is no stumbling block for 300 performers at this year’s Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival 2007.

Grandparents and great-grandparents will bring the past to life, performing old and treasured waiata composed before competitions began.

“Many are in their 70’s and 80’s. Many have not performed in forty years and have had to relearn skills. It has been a great learning environment for everyone and lots of fun,” says Taikura national co-ordinator, Puti Mackey.

“Taikura will be a real family event with children, grandchildren and great-grand children seeing their grandparents perform for the first time.”

Taikura is one of the most loved and appreciated performances as families and supporters gather to support their kaumatua who in turn proudly show they still have what it takes.
This is the first year Taikura groups will perform at the festival although concerts in local regions have been to sellout crowds.

Groups from different regions will perform works of an iconic Maori composer from their area in Arena 3 on Friday 23 and Saturday, 24 of February.

In many cases performances are without guitars as only pianos, piano accordions and ukuleles were used in the 1920’s and 30’s.

“It is a great way of encouraging Maori senior citizens to keep fit and to learn about and remember the past. If we keep our people learning and our bodies agile then we have achieved what we set out to do,” says Puti Mackey.

Taikura was launched by Te Matatini in December 2005 to maintain and retain traditional Maori knowledge and cultural practices from pre 1972. Taikura means heartwood. As a totara tree grows the rings of the tree surround the heartwood.

ENDS

© Scoop Media