17 July 2024

The World of Kapa Haka

Mano Whenua. Heartland.

photographer & writer: melissa banks

For six years, photographer Melissa Banks followed four different kapa haka across Te Tauihu Top of the South. Compiled into an exhibit that debuted at the Nelson Provincial Museum titled Te Ara o Hine Rēhia, Melissa’s black-and-white documentary-style photographs draw you in to the world of kapa haka, unveiling the emotion and spirit that goes in to each of the performance’s artistic threads.

Top Image. Stage preparation is a lengthy process, with kapa often having to wake up early in the morning to give themselves enough time to get ready. Above. Nerves start to mount on the final bus trip to the big stage at Te Matatini.

Waiata Tira. The waiata tira is a non-compulsory discipline of performance, the points for which don’t count towards the overall score. Often performed with a conductor in front, the harmonious tira serves to warm up performers’ vocal chords, settle the nerves and focus the attention of the audience on the new kapa to the stage.

Kapa haka is role-modelling at its best: mātua showing their tamariki that their culture is beautiful, powerful and important; tamariki showing their mātua that their years of effort for language and cultural revitalisation are worth it; kaumātua showing their mokopuna that their legacy is one that has been handed down through generations; mokopuna showing their kaumātua that despite the experience of colonisation, their language and their culture will not perish.

Te Ara o Hine Rēhia takes you on a journey through the different items of a bracket that make up a kapa haka performance, featuring performers from Tamariki Toa of Nelson Central School, Te Pītau Whakarei of Nelson Intermediate School, Pūaha Te Tai of Nayland College and the adult group Kura Tai Waka, representing Kurahaupō Waka.

My whānau are my favourite photography subjects, so a lot of my photography has naturally followed them, as we support the multiple kaupapa that they are involved in. The process of bringing up our tamariki in te ao Māori has meant we seek out kaupapa and other whānau with similar values and aspirations to ours. Kapa haka has played an important role in our journey and the beautiful whānau we have met along the way have helped to support us. A key goal of the exhibition was to demonstrate the immense amount of work that goes into preparing for a kapa haka performance. The fantastic response to Te Ara o Hine Rēhia shows that it tells a story that is interesting and important.

Glossary. Harakeke, flax. Hineraumati, the summer maiden. Ihi, essential force, thrill. Kapa, team, group, company of people. Kapa haka, Māori performing group. Karanga, formal ceremonial call. Kaumātua, elders. Kaupapa, topic, project. Māmā, mother. Mātauranga, knowledge, wisdom, understanding. Mātua, parents. Mokopuna, grandchildren. Mōteatea, traditional lament, sung poetry. Poi, (traditionally used for wrist strength training) a light ball on a string of varying length, swung or twirled rhythmically to sung accompaniment. Poroporoaki, farewell speech. Pōwhiri, welcoming ceremony. Pūkana, dilating the eyes. Raupō, bulrush. Tama-nui-te-rā, the sun god. Tamariki, children. Tā moko, traditional tattoo. Te ao Māori, the Māori world. Te Ara o Hine Rēhia, “A Journey into the World of Kapa Haka.” Tira, choir. Wāhine, women. Waiata, song. Waka, canoe. Wana, excitement, thrill, exhilaration. Wehi, the response of awe in response to ihi. Whakaeke, entrance. Whakapapa, genealogy. Whakawātea, exit. Wiri, trembling hands

Mātua use ink and tā moko stencils to prepare tamariki for their performance.

Whakaeke. The whakaeke is where the kapa announces its arrival. It shares similarities with the pōwhiri process, often containing karanga and haka and utilising whakapapa to connect visitor and host. An item of contrasts and energy, it can also be used to pass social comment on a topical issue of the day.

Above. The dress rehearsal is an important part of the process. It's the first time the wider whānau will have a chance to see the performance and gives the kapa a gauge on what needs fine-tuning.

Tapping into the emotion of the mōteatea is an important aspect of the performance.

Mōteatea. Mōteatea provide a connection to the past, traditional songs chanted without choreography or harmony. Unscripted actions, facial expressions and changes in rhythm are the performers’ tools to convey meaning to the audience. Mōteatea pass history and mātauranga orally through the generations.

Backstage at Eden Park, performers are a mixture of excitement and nerves as the time to perform has finally arrived.

Waiata-ā-ringa. Waiata-ā-ringa are one of the more contemporary aspects of modern day kapa haka, introduced in the early 1900s. The wiri is represented heavily in waiata-ā-ringa. The wiri originates from Tānerore and Hine ā Rohe, the children of Tama-nui-te-rā and Hineraumati. We attribute the creation of haka to Tānerore who can be seen dancing on the horizon on a hot day. In the waiata-ā-ringa, hand actions accompany melodic tunes and creatively crafted lyrics to convey a message to the people.

Groups practise using window reflections to fine-tune their movements.

Poi. Poi were traditionally made of natural fibres like raupō and harakeke leaves. They were used to strengthen warrior’s wrists and keep them supple for battle, develop hand-eye co-ordination, and keep time on long waka voyages. In kapa haka, the poi discipline is firmly the domain of wāhine. Sweet smiles and graceful movements belie the complexity and intricacy of the poi sequence. The perfectly synchronised strikes of the poi provides a percussional beat to the rhythm of the waiata.

Kaumātua hold the newborn babies so their māmā can practise for Te Matatini.

The journey to the venue is always a great opportunity to practise pūkana and get in the zone.

Haka. The haka is the item where the males take centre stage, with the fierce support of the women behind, and are given an opportunity to showcase their ferocity and strength. As a natural provocation, the haka is often used to challenge or provide social commentary on topical issues. Good pronunciation and synchronisation of actions is important to ensure that the underlying themes and message of the haka are understood by the audience and judges alike.

The ihi, the wehi and the wana of the haka in full flight.

The emotions of the whakawātea built to a crescendo to announce the conclusion of the performance.

Whakawātea. The whakawātea is the natural complement of the whakaeke. Both are often highly choreographed and full of contrasting energies. This is the group’s last chance to leave an impression. As the whakaeke contains elements of the pōwhiri, the whakawātea can contain elements of the poroporoaki process of farewell. The hosts are often thanked for their hospitality and whakapapa connections are re-emphasised before departing the stage.