The Māori of New Zealand
I cannot believe this is the final blog of the semester, so let's make it count! I will be focusing on the Māori people, their culture, and most importantly, their music. As always, a bit of background information. The Māori people are the indigenous people of New Zealand, and there are records of them back as early as 1300 CE. Their history revolves around war with the British and fighting to keep their ancestral land. A majority of the music does not include instruments and is in the form of chants or poetry. There are dances associated with them that have become a staple in the culture, often performed at reunions or rituals. Before we begin, here are a few vocabulary words you should know. I will be going over the following points in detail: 1. Waiata = translates to "Song" 2. Taonga Puoro = the instruments 3. Haka = dance Waiata: As in any culture, there are many forms of songs. A few of these for the Māori are Karaki...
