Kapa haka performers join in military tattoo

A group of New Zealand highland dancers and kapa haka performers at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 2014. From left) Annette Wehi, Conor Hendry, Te Reweti Wharepapa, Sonia Martin and Shontelle Waititi.

The largest ever kapa haka group to perform at a military tattoo will take the stage this month when the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo tours to New Zealand.

The performance will be at Westpac Stadium in Wellington from February 18 to 21 and will feature 160 of some the country's top performers. The group will be made up of some of the best groups from Te Matatini Kapa Haka Festival as well as Wellington's best kapa haka performers.

It is the second time Te Matatini affiliated performers have performed as part of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, the first being in 2014 where 50 performers travelled to Scotland to take part in the two week sold-out event.

Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo chief producer Brigadier David Allfrey said they hosted an astonishing kapa haka group from Te Matatini in 2014.

"Their energy, elegance and sheer sense of style captivated the live audience in Edinburgh and an even broader television audience. We sought to bring together different elements of Maori culture and heritage with the Scottish influences in New Zealand to create a rich mix - Maori song, dance - with guitars in accompaniment - and the haka together with highland dancing and the bagpipes. The result was not just strong for the eyes and ears but it was intellectually compelling and evocative."

She said they confirmed the opportunity to work with the New Zealand Festival to bring the tattoo to Wellington.

"Our first conversations were with our Maori friends to see if we could get together, only this time on a much larger scale - appropriate to the giant Westpac Stadium."

The groups taking part in the 2016 event are Te Kapa Haka o Te Whanau-a-Apanui from the Eastern Bay of Plenty, Opotiki Mai Tawhiti from the Bay of Plenty and Te Waka Huia. Te Matarae I Orehu was to perform also, but had to pull out because of other commitments.