Editorial: Te Matatini awesome

Te Matatini was simply the best. Photo / File

Te Matatini kapa haka festival lived up to its English translation as "the many faces".

Because many faces there were.

It was the absolute pinnacle of kapa haka excellence - and thus a boon for this province.

Its host, Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park, underwent a name change for the month of February to mark the momentous occasion - and was thus dubbed Kahungunu Park. It was a nice touch.

The accommodation sector's "no vacancy" signs were testament to the festival's popularity, so too were the full cafes and restaurants, with the numerous iwi and performing groups' livery and moko dominating the twin-cities' streetscape.

When I was at high school the then Maori performing arts faculty was called the "Maori Cultural Club". It was a somewhat token acknowledgement of a nascent cultural movement.

In hindsight that wasn't surprising, though, given Te Reo Maori was made an official language in New Zealand only in 1987.

How far (thankfully) we've come. The yards gained is an acknowledgement of the backing, training and commitment of those involved.

Congratulations to Te Kapa Haka o Whangara Mai Tawhiti from Gisborne, who took the overall title yesterday. The work and poise that went into beating the other polished finalists can't be underestimated.

If this is how far the event has come in a quarter-century, one can only imagine what sort of stage we'll be looking at the next time we play host.

The park's trust chairman, Rex Graham, said it best when he described Te Matatini as a "stunning" entertainment experience, "the likes of which we may not see for another 30 years".