I've discovered some great new music here in New Zealand and thought you might be interested. There should be something for everyone....
Bic Runga
http://www.bicrunga.com/
A young singer/songwriter from Christchurch. Her voice is beautiful and soothing. At different times her music reminds me of Jewell, Sheryl Crow, Beth Orton and Norah Jones. Her song "Sway" was on the American Pie Soundtrack and received lots of airplay in the States.
Moana Maniapoto
http://www.moananz.com/
A Maori singer/songwriter that blends traditional Maori song and chant with soul, reggae and hip hop. Her music is a wonderful crossroads of the past and present.
Black Seeds
http://theblackseeds.com/
A Wellington band that fuses reggae, funk and dub. Fun, easy, mellow music. Former band member Bret McKenzie is also a member of the comedy duo Flight of the Conchords. Favorite songs are "Cool Me Down" and"Good People."
Gurumuul
http://www.gurrumul.com/
My personal favorite: A blind Aboriginal singer from an island in Arnhemland, in northern Australia. He sings in Yolngu Matha, his native language. His voice is incredibly beautiful, you will melt! Reminds me a lot of Aaron Neville. I got his self-titled album on iTunes.
Scribe
http://www.myspace.com/scribedirtyrecords
A very popular rap/hip hop artist of Samoan descent. You can also check out his songs on iTunes. He's collaborated with Wyclef Jean and Talib Kwali. Top hits include "Stand Up," "Not Many" and "Dreaming."
Kommikal
http://www.myspace.com/conjurur
A bi-lingual (Maori/English) rap/hip hop artist. His music often includes traditional Maori chants, such as Haka war-cries. The Maori language seems to suit this music genre nicely.
Happy listening!
Showing posts with label Maori. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maori. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Poolside Haka
The other night we went for a swim at the community pool and witnessed 2 swim teams perform the Haka before their swim meet.
The Haka is the traditional Maori dance that includes shouting, postures, and facial expressions and is performed by a group. The All Blacks, the New Zealand rugby team, has popularized the Haka through their performances before a match. However, the team's war Haka is only one version of Haka among many, and not all Haka are exclusively war dances or only performed by men.
Here is a video of the All Blacks performing the Haka before a match against England in 2004. It also has translations of the song's words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdMCAV6Yd0Y
Every time I see the Haka performed I get goosebumps. It's such an intense, passionate dance that rattles me to the core. It's quite intimidating!
However, the skinny, white, teenage swimmers performing the Haka on the pool deck were a different story.
The Haka is the traditional Maori dance that includes shouting, postures, and facial expressions and is performed by a group. The All Blacks, the New Zealand rugby team, has popularized the Haka through their performances before a match. However, the team's war Haka is only one version of Haka among many, and not all Haka are exclusively war dances or only performed by men.
Here is a video of the All Blacks performing the Haka before a match against England in 2004. It also has translations of the song's words.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdMCAV6Yd0Y
Every time I see the Haka performed I get goosebumps. It's such an intense, passionate dance that rattles me to the core. It's quite intimidating!
However, the skinny, white, teenage swimmers performing the Haka on the pool deck were a different story.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Black Paua!
Paua (pronounced pow-a) is Maori for abalone and the black paua is the most abundant here in New Zealand. The black paua was a staple in the Maori diet and the shell was prized as a treasure. Today you can often find paua shells washed up on the beach and carved paua jewelry is very popular tourist souvenir.
I grew up eating abalone, thanks to my dad and uncles, and I absolutely love it, so I am excited to catch, er, pry some off the rocks at some point. In our area the legal limit is 10 paua per person, per day and they must be at least 5 inches long.
If you’ve never had abalone, you are missing out. Abalone is like nothing you’ve ever tasted! When cooking it, I prefer to thinly slice it, dredge it in some egg and herbed breadcrumbs, and then lightly pan fry it in butter and olive oil. BBQ abalone is delicious, especially dipped in garlic-herb butter, and abalone chowder is amazing too. Next time you have the opportunity to eat fresh abalone (don’t even think about that canned crap), go for it!
I grew up eating abalone, thanks to my dad and uncles, and I absolutely love it, so I am excited to catch, er, pry some off the rocks at some point. In our area the legal limit is 10 paua per person, per day and they must be at least 5 inches long.
If you’ve never had abalone, you are missing out. Abalone is like nothing you’ve ever tasted! When cooking it, I prefer to thinly slice it, dredge it in some egg and herbed breadcrumbs, and then lightly pan fry it in butter and olive oil. BBQ abalone is delicious, especially dipped in garlic-herb butter, and abalone chowder is amazing too. Next time you have the opportunity to eat fresh abalone (don’t even think about that canned crap), go for it!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Your Maori Lesson for the Day
Maori, also referred to as te reo (the language), is one of New Zealand's three official languages (along with English and NZ Sign Language) and is commonly spoken by people of Maori descent. It is considered an East Polynesian language and is closely related to Tahitian. Many of New Zealand's place names are of Maori origin and describe the physical geography of the environment.
Like many native languages under Western colonization, Maori has had many ups and downs over the past 200 years. At the beginning of the 19th century Maori was the predominant language spoken in New Zealand. As more white English speakers arrived on the islands, the Maori language was increasingly confined to small, Maori-only communities. By the mid-20th century there were concerns that the language was dying out. Major initiatives in the 1980s were launched to bring about a revival of Maori.
Today, most government departments have bilingual names, and many schools, museums, and libraries have bilingual signs. There are currently 2 Maori language TV stations and a Maori radio station. Parents have the option of sending their children to Maori-immersion kindergarten and more families are choosing to raise bilingual children. Recent polls show that over 130,000 people of Maori ethnicity now speak and understand Maori.
With few Maori living on the South Island, we rarely get the chance to hear Maori spoken, although we do listen to the Maori radio station sometimes. It's a beautiful language and I can't wait to hear more of it when we travel to the North Island.
If you're interested in learning more about the Maori language, check out the New Zealand government's Maori Language Commission website at:
http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/
If you want to look up a word in Maori, go to the online Maori Dictionary:
http://www.maoridictionary.co.nz/
Here is a sample of common Maori words.
= cloud
= Land of the Long White Cloud (one of several translations)
= love and affection
= river, valley
= welcome
= farewell
= a dance and chants performed by the men
= a Maori feast where the food is cooked/steamed in an earth oven
= wind
= legendary homeland of the Maori
= good; well done
= food
= hello, good bye, good luck
= prestige, power, control
= bird
= mountain
= sea or lake
= tattoo
= island, or anything that is isolated
= foreigner, white person, European
= night
= spring of water
rangi= sky
= lake
= sacred
wai = water
= spirit
= bay, stretch of water, inlet
= house
= land
Like many native languages under Western colonization, Maori has had many ups and downs over the past 200 years. At the beginning of the 19th century Maori was the predominant language spoken in New Zealand. As more white English speakers arrived on the islands, the Maori language was increasingly confined to small, Maori-only communities. By the mid-20th century there were concerns that the language was dying out. Major initiatives in the 1980s were launched to bring about a revival of Maori.
Today, most government departments have bilingual names, and many schools, museums, and libraries have bilingual signs. There are currently 2 Maori language TV stations and a Maori radio station. Parents have the option of sending their children to Maori-immersion kindergarten and more families are choosing to raise bilingual children. Recent polls show that over 130,000 people of Maori ethnicity now speak and understand Maori.
With few Maori living on the South Island, we rarely get the chance to hear Maori spoken, although we do listen to the Maori radio station sometimes. It's a beautiful language and I can't wait to hear more of it when we travel to the North Island.
If you're interested in learning more about the Maori language, check out the New Zealand government's Maori Language Commission website at:
http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/
If you want to look up a word in Maori, go to the online Maori Dictionary:
http://www.maoridictionary.co.nz/
Here is a sample of common Maori words.
= cloud
= Land of the Long White Cloud (one of several translations)
= love and affection
= river, valley
= welcome
= farewell
= a dance and chants performed by the men
= a Maori feast where the food is cooked/steamed in an earth oven
= wind
= legendary homeland of the Maori
= good; well done
= food
= hello, good bye, good luck
= prestige, power, control
= bird
= mountain
= sea or lake
= tattoo
= island, or anything that is isolated
= foreigner, white person, European
= night
= spring of water
rangi= sky
= lake
= sacred
wai = water
= spirit
= bay, stretch of water, inlet
= house
= land
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