Morvin Te Anatipa Simon (1944 – 14 May 2014) was a New Zealand

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

composer,

kapa haka Kapa haka is the term for Māori action songs and the groups who perform them. It literally means 'group' () and 'dance' (). Kapa haka is an important avenue for Māori people to express and showcase their heritage and cultural Polynesian identi ...

leader, choirmaster and historian.

Biography

Born at

Kaiwhaiki Kaiwhaiki is a settlement upriver from Whanganui, New Zealand. Kaiwhaiki in the 1840s was a small pā of a two to three dozen people. In Ronaldson's 1847 survey, the inhabitants were noted as being of the hapū Ngāti Rongomaitawhiri. In 1852 ...

marae on the

Whanganui River The Whanganui River is a major river in the North Island of New Zealand. It is the country's third-longest river, and has special status owing to its importance to the region's Māori people. In March 2017 it became the world's second natura ...

, Simon was of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi,

Ngāti Apa Ngāti Apa is a Māori iwi (tribe) in Rangitikei District of New Zealand. Its rohe (traditional tribal lands) extend between the Mangawhero, Whangaehu, Turakina and Rangitīkei rivers. This area is bounded by Whanganui River in the north-west, ...

and

Ngāti Tūwharetoa Ngāti Tūwharetoa is an iwi descended from Ngātoro-i-rangi, the priest who navigated the Arawa canoe to New Zealand. The Tūwharetoa region extends from Te Awa o te Atua (Tarawera River) at Matatā across the central plateau of the North Isla ...

descent. He was educated at Upokongaro School and

Hato Paora College Hato Paora College is a Catholic, Māori Boys' Boarding school located near Cheltenham, Feilding, New Zealand. It was founded in 1947 under the leadership of Marist Priest, Isaac J Gupwell. It is the largest Boys' Maori Boarding Secondary School ...

, and studied sociology and philosophy at

Holy Name Seminary Holy Name Seminary was a Roman Catholic seminary staffed by the Society of Jesus established in New Zealand for the training of priests. It was first opened in 1947 in Christchurch and closed at the end of 1978. Establishment With Holy Cross Co ...

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon River / ...

, and

Māori language Māori (), or ('the Māori language'), also known as ('the language'), is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken by the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. Closely related to Cook Islands Māori, Tuamotuan, and ...

and oral literature at

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well know ...

and

Massey University Massey University ( mi, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa) is a university based in Palmerston North, New Zealand, with significant campuses in Albany and Wellington. Massey University has approximately 30,883 students, 13,796 of whom are extramural or ...

. Simon succeeded his father as choirmaster at Kaiwhaiki, recording the series of albums ''The Valley of Voices'', volume 2 of which was a finalist for best Polynesian album at the 1983

New Zealand Music Awards The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously called the New Zealand Music Awards), conferred annually by Recorded Music NZ, honour outstanding artistic and technical achievements in the recording industry. The awards are among the most significant that ...

. He composed hundreds of songs, including classics such as ''Te Aroha'' (1983), and ''Moe, moe mai rā'' adapted from the Welsh lullaby '' Suo Gân'', and others for special occasions including one in memory of Sir

Archie Taiaroa Sir Archie John Te Atawhai Taiaroa (3 January 1937 – 21 September 2010) was a New Zealand Māori leader who affiliated to the Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi, Ngāti Apa and Ngāti Maru iwi. He chaired the Whanganui River M ...

. He was the leader of the kapa haka groups Te Matapihi and Te Taikura o te Awa Tupua. An expert in the Māori language, Simon was appointed an adjunct professor by

Te Wānanga o Aotearoa Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is an indigenous tertiary education provider with over 80 campuses throughout New Zealand. As a Māori-led organisation grounded in Māori values, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa is committed to the revitalisation of Māori cultu ...

in 2004. He wrote a series of books ''Taku Whare E'' about the

marae A ' (in New Zealand Māori, Cook Islands Māori, Tahitian), ' (in Tongan), ' (in Marquesan) or ' (in Samoan) is a communal or sacred place that serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies. In all these languages, the term a ...

in the Whanganui region, with the third and final book focusing on his home marae of Kaiwhaiki. In 2012, Simon was awarded an honorary Bachelor of Arts in Māori Performing Arts by Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, in recognition of his contribution to kapa haka and cultural stewardship. In the

2013 Queen's Birthday Honours The 2013 Birthday Honours were appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as part of t ...

, he was appointed a

Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit The New Zealand Order of Merit is an order of merit in the New Zealand royal honours system. It was established by royal warrant on 30 May 1996 by Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand, "for those persons who in any field of endeavour, have ren ...

, for services to Māori. At the same time, his wife, Titikura Simon, was awarded the

Queen's Service Medal The Queen's Service Medal is a medal awarded by the government of New Zealand to recognise and reward volunteer service to the community and also public service in elected or appointed public office. It was established in 1975 and is related to ...

, also for services to Māori. Simon died in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

in 2014.

Māori Party Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

co-leader

Tariana Turia Dame Tariana Turia (born 8 April 1944) is a New Zealand politician. She was first elected to Parliament in 1996. Turia gained considerable prominence during the foreshore and seabed controversy in 2004, and eventually broke with the Labour P ...

paid tribute to Simon, saying "his waiata could move from tempestuous rapids to smooth waters that caress your every trouble away."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Simon, Morvin 1944 births 2014 deaths Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi people Ngāti Apa people Ngāti Tūwharetoa people People from Manawatū-Whanganui Victoria University of Wellington alumni Massey University alumni New Zealand Māori academics Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit Academic staff of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa 21st-century New Zealand historians Holy Name Seminary alumni People educated at Hato Paora College