Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai is a New Zealand kapa haka group that formed in 2013, formed from members of Ngāti Rongomai from the Lake Rotoiti area of the

Rotorua Lakes District Rotorua Lakes District or Rotorua District is a territorial authority district in the North Island of New Zealand. It has one urban area of significant size, the city of Rotorua. The district is governed by Rotorua Lakes Council, which is headqu ...

. The group placed second at the 2019

Te Matatini Te Matatini is a nationwide Māori performing arts festival and competition for kapa haka performers from all of New Zealand and Australia. The name was given by Professor Wharehuia Milroy, a composite of meaning "face" and denoting "many" � ...

competition. In 2022, the group recorded "Te Ata Māhina", the ''waiata tira'' from this performance for the 50th anniversary of Te Matatini. The song became one of the most successful

Māori language Māori (; endonym: 'the Māori language', commonly shortened to ) is an Eastern Polynesian languages, Eastern Polynesian language and the language of the Māori people, the indigenous population of mainland New Zealand. The southernmost membe ...

songs for 2022 in New Zealand.

Background

Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai was formed in 2013 by members of the

Te Arawa Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori people, Māori iwi and hapū (tribes and sub-tribes) of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the ''Arawa (canoe), Arawa'' migration canoe (''waka''). The tribes are based in the Rotorua and Bay of Plent ...

tribe Ngāti Rongomai, who come from the shores of Lake Rotoiti. The inspiration for the group came from the establishment of Te Wharekura o Ngāti Rongomai in 2009, a

immersion school for the Ngāti Rongomai community. The group debuted during the 2014 Te Arawa regional kapa haka competition. The group placed second at the 2019

kapa haka festival. Later in the same year, founding member Himiona Herbert died of a brain aneurysm. Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai became the

kapa haka regional champions in 2020. Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai recorded the song "Te Ata Māhina" ("The Breaking Dawn") for ''He Tau Makuru'', an album project celebrating the 50th anniversary of Te Matatini. "Te Ata Māhina" was released on 17 May 2022, and was performed as a collaboration with ''

X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...

'' singer

Whenua Patuwai Whenua Patuwai (born 13 March 1995) is a New Zealand singer and songwriter renowned for his soulful vocals and emotive performances. He gained national prominence as the runner-up on the inaugural season of The X Factor New Zealand in 2013, whe ...

. "Te Ata Māhina" was a song performed as a ''waiata tira'' (choral introduction) at the group's 2019 appearance at Te Matatini. "Te Ata Māhina" was one of the most successful songs sung in Māori in 2022, and was the second highest performing song from the Te Matatini anniversary album, after "Waerea" by Ngā Tūmanako. Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai were one of the twelve finalists for the 2023

festival. In March 2023, Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai performed at Waipuketia Ki Te Aroha - Flood Them With Love, a free concert in

Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...

to fund relief for the East Coast regions most affected by

Cyclone Gabrielle Severe Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle was a powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that devastated parts of the North Island of New Zealand and affected parts of Vanuatu and Norfolk Island in February 2023. It is the costliest tropical cyclone ...

. "Te Ata Māhina" reached number one on the Te Reo Māori singles chart in April 2023, and became the top performing te reo Māori song in New Zealand for 2023.

Style

The group is led in performances by Tūkiterangi Curtis and Renata Curtis. Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai wear a mix of white, black and brown. The men of the group wear ''maro'' and '' korowai'', while women wear ''kaitaka'' (flax cloaks).

Discography

Singles

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Te Pikikōtuku o Ngāti Rongomai 2013 establishments in New Zealand Māori-language singers Musical groups established in 2013 New Zealand Māori musical groups New Zealand Māori singers Ngāti Rongomai People from the Bay of Plenty Region