Ngati Poneke Celebrates 75 Years Of Kapa Haka, Civic Service

Media Release

29 May 2012

Ngati Poneke Celebrates 75 Years Of Kapa Haka And Civic Service

The Ngati Poneke Young Maori Club, one of the first Maori performing arts clubs in Aotearoa, will celebrate its 75th anniversary this weekend at Pipitea Marae in Wellington.

The club, named by Sir Apirana Ngata, was established on 30 May 1937 “to try and keep the young people off the streets and arouse their interests in Maori culture.”[1] Lady Pomare, the wife of Maori MP Maui Pomare, was the first patron. Kingi Tahiwi, who set high standards in kapa haka and choral singing, was the first Chairman.

The club quickly rose to prominence for its first class concert party that welcomed and farewelled troops to and from Wellington during World War II. In its heyday, the club performed 257 times in one year!

Ngati Poneke was the hub of the Maori community in Wellington last century and it continues to welcome famous visitors to the capital city and New Zealand.

During the 1950s and 60s, well-organised dances on a Friday and Saturday night encouraged many to join the club. Such was its popularity that at its 30th anniversary concert in 1967, hundreds of people were turned away from a packed out St James Theatre.

Ngati Poneke has continued to perform civic duties, teach kapa haka and provide a beacon for all people interested in Maori arts and culture.

Seventy-fives years on from its inception, club members still meet every Monday night to learn Maori performing arts and enjoy being part of the Ngati Poneke community.

This weekend, a range of activities have been organised to honour the past and celebrate the continued existence of the Ngati Poneke Young Maori Club.

The programme begins at 4pm on Saturday and goes through until Sunday afternoon. Club members from the first two decades will be honoured at a special dinner on Saturday. An Inter Denominational Church Service and archival film screening will take place on the Sunday morning followed by a full club performance in the afternoon.

Anyone interested in attending the celebrations, can contact Hinerangi Barr on kt.princess@xtra.co.nz or go to the Facebook events page called: Ngati Poneke 75 Anniversary Celebrations. A copy of the full programme and registration form are posted on this page.

The Ngati Poneke Maori Association hosting the event wishes to acknowledge the generous support of its major sponsors; the Pipitea Marae Charitable Trust, the Wellington City Council, Woolf Photography and Hui Amorangi o Te Upoko o Te Ika.

[1] This quote comes from an article by former club member, Jackie Sturm and the link is on the Ngati Poneke 75 Anniversary Celebration Facebook page http://teaohou.natlib.govt.nz/journals/teaohou/image/Mao12TeA/Mao12TeA029.html

ENDS

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