Te Matatini is a nation-wide

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 ...

performing arts festival and competition for ''

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 ...

'' performers from all of

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

. The name was given by Professor

Wharehuia Milroy James Te Wharehuia Milroy (24 July 1937 – 7 May 2019) was a New Zealand academic and expert in the Māori language. He was of Ngāi Tūhoe descent. Together with Tīmoti Kāretu and Pou Temara, Milroy was a lecturer at Te Panekiretanga o te ...

, a composite of ''Te Mata'' meaning ''the face'' and ''tini'' denoting ''many'' — hence the meaning of ''Te Matatini'' is ''many faces''. The Te Matatini festival is held every two years in different regions of New Zealand. Authority (''mana'') is given to different tribes (''iwi'') to host the festival. For example, in 2017 the ''mana'' was given to

Te Whanganui-a-Tara Te Whanganui-a-Tara is the Māori name for Wellington Harbour. The term is also used to refer to the city of Wellington which lies on the shores of the harbour. ''Te Whanganui-a-Tara'' translates as "the great harbour of Tara", named for Tara, a s ...

on behalf of the

Ngāti Kahungunu Ngāti Kahungunu is a Māori iwi located along the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The iwi is traditionally centred in the Hawke's Bay and Wairārapa regions. The tribe is organised into six geographical and administrative di ...

(''Heretaunga'') region. Mead (2003) explains, Mana is undergone by a set of rules before it is given, the people or person in charge has to accept these constraints and strive to rise above them in order to do the job that is set before them. Te Matatini is seen as playing a very important role within Maoridom in promoting the tikanga of the Māori culture and ''Kapa Haka.'' It provides a valuable experience for the people of New Zealand and others from all around the world, with the festival attracting up to 30,000 participants and spectators. Te Matatini celebrates the Maori culture, its beauty, and its core values. Kapa Haka is a form of Maori identity and contributes to New Zealand being unique. The Te Matatini Society is the driving force behind Te Matatini National Kapa Haka Festival. Initially emerging in the late 1960s, it has evolved into the sponsor of a variety of Maori festivals and Polynesian events. The society in its current form was established in 1972 and has focused on the long term nurturing of Maori performing arts. The 2021 Te Matatini will be held in

Eden Park Eden Park is New Zealand's largest sports stadium, with a capacity of 50,000. Located in central Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, it is three kilometres southwest of the CBD, on the boundary between the suburbs of Mount Eden and King ...

Schedule of events

Prizes

Prizes are awarded on the final competition day. Across the five days, each team are judged against set criteria, by expert judges, appointed from around New Zealand. * The Tāonga (Trophies) are awarded to the teams with the highest score in the seven compulsory (Aggregate) and non-compulsory (non-aggregate) disciplines from the pool rounds. * The Toa Whakaihuwaka (overall winner) taonga is awarded to the team with the highest scores from the final day (Te Matangirua) and also determines first second and third place.Te Matatini Society Incorporated. (2017). Tāonga. Retrieved from Te Matatini Kapa Haka Aotearoa: http://www.tematatini.co.nz/festival/taonga/

Disciplines

The performances are made up of different disciplines, each Kapa Haka team are required to perform six disciplines within their performance piece - whakaeke (a choreographed entry), mōteatea (traditional chant), poi (light ball swung on the end of a rope), waiata-ā-ringa (action song), haka and whakawātea (exit). They must perfect every discipline in a polished 25-minute performance.

Past winners

Footnotes

External links

Te Matatini official website.
* Te Matatini Society
History and Initiatives.
Retrieved 20 March 2010. * Te Matatini Society
Nga ture o te whakataetae: Competition rules.
Retrieved from 25 March 2010.
Kapa Haka Secondary Schools 2010.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Te Matatini Folk festivals in New Zealand Polynesian festivals Dance festivals in New Zealand Māori culture