Kapa haka event in Marlborough draws thousands

Thousands of people gathered in Blenheim for Kia Hūkere te Hoe this week, the biggest kapa haka event ever held in Marlborough.

It was a celebration of a performance art that's become so popular in Te Tauihu (the top of the South), there wasn't enough room for all the teams that wanted to perform.

The event was the regional qualifier for next year's national primary schools competition, Te Mana Kuratahi, and the premier kapa haka event Te Matatini 2027.

It returned to the district for the first time in 13 years, bringing together hundreds of kaihaka, their whānau and supporters from across the Te Tauihu rohe.

It was the first time seven-year-old Te Maire Davis from Victory Primary School had performed kapa haka.

"At the start I felt nervous then when I kept doing the songs, I felt excited.

"After I got off [the stage] I felt proud of me, when all the people were doing haka tautoko I felt kind of proud of myself."

She said her favourite part, was "doing the haka and doing pukana".

It was also the first time onstage for six-year-old Jemimah George, also from Victory Primary School in Nelson.

"First when you go on you are a little nervous at the start but then when you hop off you are proud of yourself.".

Bohally Intermediate student Tiahuia Finch, 11, said there were several things she loved about kapa haka.

"That I can just be myself and do Māori songs, I can sing hardout and I can just be with all my whanau and friends."

Kaylahni Mackie Taupe, 11, said she was pleased with her group's performance after nine weeks of practice.

"It's been hard but also easy, it is all about the discipline really."

Te Tauihu Kapa Haka Incorporated chair Sonny Alesana said kapa haka had become increasingly popular in recent years. Around 13 primary school teams competed at the event, but there were even more who wanted to.

"Unfortunately we had 11 other teams that we couldn't fit on the two days so we have to find something for them, which is a goal of ours in the next two or three years, is how we might be able to accommodate the exponential growth of kapa haka in our region."

He said kapa haka teams from two Te Tauihu schools were travelling to Japan and Hawaii this year to perform.

"Kapa haka is a vehicle for us to drive a whole of different things and [New Zealand] is the only country in the world that has kapa, so why don't we take it out into the world, to ensure that our kids, our rangatahi, our kapa performers have an opportunity to go overseas, we are working very hard on that."

He said every whanau that was involved put lots of time and effort into kapa haka.

"There's a lot of travelling, a lot of cooking, a lot of tears, a lot of sewing of uniforms, so not only are the children up there on the stage but they are representing their whanau, their hapu and their iwi."

Melissa Linton travelled from Motueka to watch her two tamariki - from Parklands School in Motueka - take part in Kia Hūkere te Hoe.

"This is probably their third competition but it never gets any easier, the nerves beforehand and the tears straightaway. I am just so proud of them."

She said her boys and other students spent the holidays practising kapa haka every day.

"They just put in so much time and effort and all the matua awhi (parent help) to do the kai and the kākahu (traditional garments) and the makeup and hair on the day it is just a full team effort and these kids are whanau for life now these kids, they spend so much time together and they've got each other."

Nicki Hemi said watching her great nephews perform was emotional.

"Our reo was lost to us as a whanau and our boys are bringing it back to our whanau and it is so important, it is so dear to us and I just am so proud of them up there, so brave and standing tall in their Māoridom in the Te ao Māori world."

Those selected to compete at Te Mana Kuratahi and Te Matatini will be announced at a prizegiving on Friday afternoon.

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