Karanga ~ Call

Karanga refers to the ceremonial call of welcome performed only by the women of the tribe.

The start of the karanga indicates to a visitor that they are free to approach their hosts across the marae atea (sacred space directly in front of the meeting house).

The lamenting calls of the karanga clear a spiritual pathway between manuhiri and the tangata whenua
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The call also clears a spiritual pathway for the ancestors of both visitor and host to meet and partake in the ceremonial uniqueness of the powhiri.

A visitor fortunate enough to be at the Waitangi National Trust estate during a formal powhiri will hear the lamenting call of three women in unison. This custom follows that of the local tribe, Nga Puhi, and is reserved for special occasions.

The spine tingling, lament like chant of the karanga soars into the heavens, often provoking tears and an emotive response from the audience. The call of the women acknowledges the ancestral spirits of the visitors before them. The women acknowledge who you are and why you have come, and invite you to stop and shed tears for those who have passed on.

It is said that the depth of this call represents the bottomless source of ancestral tears, otherwise known as puna roimata.

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