Te Matatini - the many faces of Māori culture, tradition and performing arts
Every two years, hundreds of polished performers and thousands of very vocal supporters flock to Te Matatini - New Zealand’s national Māori performing arts competition.
The festival was named Te Matatini by highly regarded Māori academic Professor Wharehuia Milroy and literally means 'the many faces'.
From the fierce chants of the haka (war dance) to the harmony of choral and dance, teams must perfect every discipline of traditional Maori performing arts. These include dance, drama, storytelling, poetry, movement, coordination, laments to mourn and remember, and songs to inspire and entertain. Teams combine all of this into a polished 25 minute performance.
'Māori performing arts bring together people of all ages, all backgrounds, all beliefs, Māori and non Māori alike, participants and observers. When I look at those performing I see many faces, young and old - Te Matatini' explains Professor Milroy.
History of the Te Matatini
The national competition, a highlight of the Māori cultural events calendar, was inaugurated in 1972 and was last held in Palmerston North in 2007. Over four days, an audience of approximately 40,000 experienced the best Māori performing art New Zealand has to offer. From the synchronised, elegant movements of the women performing the poi (juggling with balls on ropes) to the unrestrained ferocity of the male haka - Te Matatini is a spectacle like no other.
In 2007, the festival had the support of the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). UNESCO promoted Te Matatini through its global networks and United Nations agencies as a premier cultural event on the international festival calendar.
The festival theme for 2007 was ‘Making the good things last - Kia mau tonu ai koo nga hua pai’.
‘Maori traditional performing arts is a national treasure that we are proud to celebrate and promote on the word stage,’ says UNDESD (UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development) New Zealand Coordinator Christine Robertson.
‘Making the good things last is something we are confident that all Kiwis will be able to identify with. The decades is about those things we treasure, safeguarding our taonga (treasures) as a nation, those things we are willing to fight for to make sure they are there for future generations.’
‘UNESCO’s extraordinary support propels Maori performing arts and the New Zealand festival scene into the international arena,’ says Te Matatini General Manager Wayne Johnson.
The long and hard road to success
Making it to Te Matatini is in itself a challenging process. Teams must first compete within their own tribes to qualify and groups battle in fierce competition to represent their respective rohe (regions) at Te Matatini. More than 100 teams contest at 14 regional competitions, including one in Australia.
The opportunity to compete in Te Matatini is not by right and an appearance at the national competition is often the culmination of two years of unrelenting commitment, dedication and hard work. Other commitments - sporting, work or even family may be sacrificed as the group focuses all energy into learning, perfecting and polishing their routine for Te Matatini.
Performers at the festival are not just competing, they are representing their people and their honour. When teams face crowds of up to 40,000, members of the audience will at times leap to their feet in haka to support their team.
Groups are judged on correct pronunciation of the Maori language, time keeping and innovation while adhering to tradition, original composition, leadership, unity, energy and costumes.
Te Matatini is an all encompassing festival of both the contemporary and the traditional. While kapa haka is the most significant component - other traditional art forms such as oratory, carving, weaving and tā moko (Māori tattoo) are combined with contemporary Māori drama, poetry and fine art to create an authentic insight into Māori culture.
The next Te Matatini will be held in 2009.
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