MAORI SINGER RETURNS

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28532, 11 March 1958, Page 11

MAORI SINGER RETURNS

Inia Te Wiata’s Holiday In N.Z.

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, March 10.

Inia Te Wiata, the Maori bass singer, arrived at Whenuapai on his first visit to New Zealand since he left here 11 years ago to further his musical career. “It was lovely to see New Zealand again from the plane,” was one of his first comments and he expressed disappointment with the comparative shortness of his stay. After making a recital tour of the country Mr Te Wiata will appear at the Auckland arts festival in May and will return to England soon after. Since he left New Zealand, Mr Te Wiata has had a varied musical life. He was the first Maori to sing at Covent Garden and was principal bass for the Royal Opera Company. He has made two films, done concert, radio and television recitals and sung on Broadway as one of the leads in the musical “The Most Happy Fella.” “I’m doing alright, too,” was how he summed up his rise to success. This was a rather modest statement as he made his name in a very short while among the keen competition in London. Immediately before leaving England he completed a British Broadcasting Corporation series called “The Wake of the Long White Cloud,” which was written by another New Zealander, Bruce Stewart. Mr Te Wiata will be remembered here for his appearance in two films, “The Seekers” and “Pacific Destiny.” Mr Te Wiata flew on to Wellington last night.