Haka Life - First Episode

Te Matatini is the pinnacle of kapa haka in New Zealand and throughout the world. There you see iwi, hapū and marae battling it out to be crowned kapa haka champions.

– Ngā Tūmanako tutor and male leader Kawariki Morgan explains the significance of Te Matatini

When it came time for both groups to come together, the singers sang what they’d come up with . . . That song was beautiful! It tugged at the heartstrings, it was so good!

– Ngā Tūmanako tutor and male leader Kawariki Morgan on the result of the songwriting wānanga

So this will be my third stand at Te Matatini while I’m pregnant. I think it's pretty tough performing on that stage because you're carrying this baby and on top of that you're singing your heart out, you haka, you run around, so yeah it's hard.

– Ngā Tūmanako head of singing Marama Gardiner on performing at Te Matatini while hapū

Every two years, thousands of people from all around Aotearoa sacrifice their summer months in the hope of performing at Te Matatini, the pinnacle of all kapa haka competitions. Each performer must give their all and endure the extreme highs and devastating lows that come with competitive kapa haka.

– Narrator Te Arahi Maipi introduces Te Matatini kapa haka competition

That's the challenge before us, before Ngā Tūmanako now — staying at that level and making finals again so people can't say that it was just a fluke last time!

– Kawariki Morgan on keeping up the group's success

A group of us who are past students of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae established our group, and now we've expanded to include our friends and those who are passionate about our cause.

– Kawariki Morgan on founding Ngā Tūmanako, early in this episode

We organised a workshop in Raglan for our singing and composition working groups. The aim was to go over some of the compositions and finish some of them off, so we split up. The singing group put together the melody for our poi, and we concentrated on the action song.

– Ngā Tūmanako tutor Reikura Kahi on the game plan for Ngā Tūmanako's first wānanga