Kāhu ki Rotorua: Anthem of our pride: Origin of the Maori Battalion tune

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See below for English translation

“Maori battalion March to Victory”

Nā Corporal Anania Amohau

Nā wai i tito: Corporal Anania Amohau, (B Company, Ngā Rukukapa)

Te tau o te titonga: 1939

Nō whea te rangi o te waiata: He waiata tāwhaiwhai.

Ko te kupu tāwhaiwhai he kupu e whakakōkiri ana i te taki o te manawataki kai te āhua 2/4 rānei 4/4 te taima.Ko te wairua o te waiata tāwhaiwhai i takea mai i tetehi waiata nō Amerika, ko ' The Washington & Lee Swing’ taua waiata.Nō te tau kotahi mano mā ono ka akongia e Mark Sheaf te rangi o te korohi ki te karapu kūtā o te whare wānanga o Washington me Lee( Kai Lexington, Virginia, USA). Nō te tau kotahi mano, e iwa rau,kotahi tekau mā tahi ka tāpiringia e C.A.Robbins he kupu, whaihoki ka waihangatia e Thornton Allen te taha ki te waiata mō ngā wāhanga katoa.Ka riro tēnei waiata tāwhaiwhai i ngā tīma kāreti pūrei whutupōro hai waiata whakawanawana, nā, nō te kotahi mano, e iwa rau e rua tekau mā wha kua puta te hau rongo o te waiata ki ngā kokonga huhua o Amerika.

Te Ope Māori Hikoi kia toa.

Mo te Atua! Mo te kingi! Me te whenua!

AUE! ake ake kia kaha e!

Te take o te titonga:

Nā Anania Amohau tēnei waiata i tito nō te wā e whakarite ana a Te Arawa ki te whakanui i te huringa rautau o Te Tiriti o Waitangi nō te wā kotahi mano, e iwa rau e wha tekau te tau.Ka akongia e ia tēnei waiata ki ngā hōia i te pā taunaha whakapakari toa i Trentham, nā wai, nā wai, kua mana i a rātau te tangi me te waiata.Ka puta te mana o te waiata, anō nei ko te waiata matua o te hokowhitu a Tū.

I whakapāohotia te waiata i te reo Irirangi nā reira i waipuketia katoatia ngā kāinga o Hawaiki Tahutahu nei ki te māuri o ngā hōia Māori. Ka poutokomanawangia ki te whatumanawa o te nui me te iti o tēnei whenua.

Nō te tau kotahi mano, e iwa rau e wha tekau mā rima kua puta te mana o te hokowhitu a Tū hai tauā wehi kore, hai tauā mana nui, hai tauā heke iho i ngā kāwai toa o Hawaiki Tawhitiareare.

I kurangia a Anania Amohau i te kura tuatahi o Te Whakarewarewa me te Kāreti o Te Aute. Ko tetehi o āna mahi tuatahi, he pou kāmera i Rotorua. He mema hoki ia nō te rōpū whakangāhau i Te Whakarewarewa.

Ko Merekotia Winiata (nee Te Amohau) tōna matua wahine kaokaoroa. He korokoro tūī ia nō te pā taunaha o Ōhinemutu.He kanohi rongonui hoki i ngā kiriata nō te takiwā o te kotahi mano, e iwa rau te tau.

Ko te wāhi whakangahau ki a Merekotia i te Ōpērā Māori a Te Peneti ko Tupa. Ko Hinemoa te kaupapa o te Ōpērā nō te rua o Akuwhata nō te tau kotahi mano, e iwa rau, kotahi tekau mā rima te tau, ka whakarewa ai tēnei kaupapa.

E mea ana ngā kaumātua o te kāinga he wahine tuku mātauranga o te ao waiata a Anania ki tana pōtiki. Ko Anania Amohau, āe, he manu korokī, ko Anania Amohau āe he toa ki te pakanga.

He toa nō te rukukapa, koia hoki tetehi i hau atu ki te hāputa o Tū, kāti he morehu hoki ia nō te pakanga tuarua. Ka noho a Anania i Te Awakairangi ki reira rātau ko tana whānau hau atu ai ki ngā mahi nui a tātau te Māori.

E ai ki te whānau o Te Amohau me te whānau Winiata, nōna e tuhi ana i te waiata,’Hikoi kia toa’, ko te nuinga o te waiata i tuhia ki te reo Ingarihi, he ahakoa kai etehi tuhinga o te waiata nei ki te reo Ingarihi kai etehi wahanga o aua tuhinga he reo Māori hoki.

English Translation

Maori Battalion march to victory

Composer: Corporal Anania Amohau, (B Company, Ngā Rukukapa)

Year: composed in Rotorua in late 1939.

Origin of the Maori Battalion Tune: Marching Song, the term march refers to a genre of music that is characterized by a strong, driving rhythm, usually in 2/4 or 4/4 time.

Reason for composition: Anania Amohau, composed this waiata during Te Arawa’s preparation for the centennial year of Te Tiriti o Waitangi that was to be held in 1940.

He went on to teach the soldiers at Trentham Military Camp ‘March to Victory’ in 1940 and they quickly took to the rhythm. It became their rallying cry throughout New Zealand it was played via Radio Stations, you would hear it being played at gatherings where the Māori would gather. It became a timeless reminder to all new Zealanders. By 1945, the 28th Māori Battalion had become one of New Zealand’s most celebrated and decorated units. But Māori contributed to the war effort in many ways, at home and overseas. The 28th (Māori) Battalion established a formidable reputation as one of New Zealand’s finest fighting forces.

Māori Battalion march to victory.

For God! For King! And for Country!

AUE! Ake, ake, kia kaha e!

Anania Amohau

■ Parents: Taiamai Te Amohau & Mereraukura

■ Educated at Whakarewarewa Primary School and Te Aute College.

He worked as a photographer in Rotorua and was a member of the Māori concert party at the Village. Anania is the nephew of the famous Merekotia Winiata (nee Te Amohau) renowned for her operatic singing Voice and featured in various popular films of the early 1900s.

Merekotia played Tupa in Bennett’s Māori Opera Company production of Hinemoa, which opened in Auckland on 2 August 1915. His Aunty Merekotia had much influence of Ananias musical talents. Anania served in (B Company, Ngā Rukukapa) and survived the war, living most of his life in the Hutt Valley where he and his family were involved in a wide range of Māori cultural and musical activities.

According to descendants of the Te Amohau/Winiata whānau, when Anania wrote “March to Victory” nearly the entire song was written in English, although some versions of this song exist with versus in Māori. “The 28th Māori Battalion Anthem.”