Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
See below for English translation
He taonga ngā momo toi
He waiata ā ringa whakamihi nāku ki ngā rangatira katoa o te ao toi, he ahakoa pakeke, he ahakoa kaumātua noa atu, he ahakoa taiohi.
Nā te kaha me te whakapono o wēnei taumata rau kua eke te waka toi ki te karamata o te kahikatea, he ahakoa ngā waro weriweri me ngā wairere pakari, te ngarungaru o ngā wai karekare e hinga ai te tangata e totara tūwao te tangata ko wēnei tūāhuatanga katoa e māia ai ngā mahi whakawetiweti a ngā kaumātua huhua. Ki whea kitea ai wēnei raukura?
E tai, ki runga, ki raro, ki wahi ki te ātea nui, ki ngā whīra hākinakina tae rawa atu ki te ātāmira hītekiteki i te whenua o Parī rānei ki waho ki tō tātau whenua ngakau whakaiti.
Ko te pūtake o tēnei waiata ā ringa he whakamahara i a tātau te tangata ki te puna wai orokohanga o te haka otīā he whakamihi hoki nā tātau ki tōna ihiihi, ki tōna wewehi ki tōna whakamataku anō hoki e puta ai ngā tātai kōrero a tātau ki ngā hau e wha i ngā kawekawe huhua o te wheke. Nō reira e hoa mā tāku ki a tātau katoa ko Ngā Momo Toi.
He kōrero tapiri
■ Whaea Rikoriko, Ko te atua of the whakaaro me te auahatanga.
This action song written and dedicated to all that have contributed and are yet to contribute to the revival and survival of Māori Performing Arts.
And since many have done so over the years the arts has gone from strength to strength, through leaps and bounds, put people through their paces, tested the waters through people’s ability to create, expand without limitations, opened up corridors for cultural exchange locally and internationally, taking the arts to new heights, whether on our sports fields, down the catwalk in Paris, or just simply in our backyards at home.
This action song recalls the origins of where Haka began and derives from, and that it is about celebrating life and telling our stories through all mediums of communication, Thus, I give you.