The performance
Waiata, poi and stick games
What the songs, poi and stick games in a Māori performance are, what the clothing and instruments mean, and how they fit alongside the haka.
Book the performance ↗Quick answer
Waiata are songs, poi are balls swung on cords in time with the music, and tī rākau are stick games. Haka is only one item among them. Te Ara calls waiata a central element of kapa haka and notes that poi are exclusive to New Zealand Māori, so a performance of about 30 minutes can hold all four.
Waiata, the songs
Te Ara describes waiata as items sung to tunes or chants, and lists several kinds: choral waiata tira, traditional chants called waiata tawhito, action songs called waiata ā-ringa, poi, entrance songs called whakaeke and exit songs called whakawātea. Waiata carry the feelings of a person or group, record personal and historical events, and imitate oral narratives. Te Ara adds that waiata are used to transfer knowledge within Māori communities, so a song is often a lesson as well as a performance.
Action songs
Te Ara says that in the early 20th century kapa haka began performing modern action songs and that many new ones were written around then. The Ngāti Porou leader Apirana Ngata encouraged kapa haka to raise money for the Māori Soldiers' Fund during the First World War, and collected many traditional waiata. Action songs set words to gesture, which is part of why a performer who is explaining a song can show you its meaning without a translation.
Poi
Te Ara describes poi as a genre of music exclusive to New Zealand Māori, with a ball on the end of a cord swung by the performer to complement the performance. Men used poi as an exercise to help warriors wield weapons more effectively, and women used it to relieve muscular strain and keep their hands and arms flexible for tasks such as weaving. Te Ara notes that poi are now largely performed to European melodies, while pre-colonial poi were recited more like haka.
Tī rākau, the stick games
The village's own page lists tī rākau, a stick game, alongside haka and poi among the items of its cultural performance, and describes the performance as using song, stick games and hand, eye and body movements to tell its stories, myths and legends. The performers explain the meaning of the items as they go, and the stick games are among the items they explain.
Clothing and instruments
Te Ara says kapa haka attire combines traditional Māori clothing with modern garments, including piupiu, the flax kilts, pari, the bodices, tātua, the belts, and tīpare, the headbands. Kapa haka often use Western instruments, mostly guitars. What you wear to watch matters less than what the performers wear, but knowing the names helps you follow when the performers explain what they are wearing and why.
Who leads a performance
Te Ara says haka is a custom of high social importance, and that the reputation of an iwi or hapū can rise or fall on its members' ability to perform it. It says the leader has to be an expert who can influence a team by the timing of voice and movement. Te Matatini, the national kapa haka competition, is held every two years and attracts more than 40 competing teams, which shows how seriously the art is taken.
Frequently asked questions
What is waiata?
A song. Te Ara lists several kinds, including choral songs, traditional chants and action songs.
What is poi?
A ball on a cord, swung in time with the music. Te Ara calls poi a genre of music exclusive to New Zealand Māori.
What are tī rākau?
Stick games. The village lists them among the items of its cultural performance.
Are the songs explained?
Yes. The performers explain the meaning of the items as they go.
Sources