THE MUSIC OF THE MAORI

Evening Star, Issue 19197, 13 March 1926, Page 15

THE MUSIC OF THE MAORI

No. 2. 'The war songs of the Maori have a pronounced rhytjim, marked by certain litting motions of the bnd3 r . With flashing eye and fierce grimace, With lolling tongue and gesture wild, The warrior, leaping Into the air, Shouts his defiant song: Kainate, Kamate, Kaora, Kaora, Kainate, Kamate, Kaora, Kaora, Death it is! Death it is! surely, surely. No! ’tis fife! No! ’tis life! doubt not, doubt not. ' Hail to the great chief whose radiance shines like the sun, And sheds on us the night light of peace. Doubt it not! Doubt it not! Peace is at hand; haste to welcome the sun! lla! ngli! Hupanei JTupanel llupane, Kanpane, whiti te ra! lla! ugh! On one occasion, when a body of Maoris sang a “ peruperu ” —a war song—on board a European ship, the rhythmic motions and measured stops were so vehement, and the stamping of feet so powerful, that the whole ship trembled. The commander sought in vain to stop them, but they continued their war dance and song until quite overcome with their exertions, they were compelled to cease. They have songs, also, which they sing when working. For instance, when they are pulling up their canoes, or drawing huge blocks of wood, they sing these songs, and it makes it practicable for a large number of people to work in perfect accord —that is, in strict rhythm. One of the songs, called “ totowaka,” is generally sung when the men are loading a ship or pulling at a rope, and anyone who has heard this sailors’ song will fully understand, how the Maori singers vary in tempo,’ according to the difficulty or easiness of the work. The Maoris row in time with a melody, which is sung In- a chorus sitting i’n canoes. Captain Cook, in his remarks, said; “In their song they keep time with such exactness that I have often heard more than a hundred paddles struck against the sides of their boats at once, so as to produce but a single sound, at the divisions of their music.”

If a number of Maoris are in a canoe one or more would stand on the thwarts giving time with voice and gesture to the paddlers, who might also be singing; they would even rim backwards and forwards along the thwarts whilst thus directing the crew. THE KOATJAIT AND THE BUTORINA.

There was one musical instrument in particular, in common use among the old-time Maoris, called # the

“ koauau ” upon which definite intervals, corresponding with the intervals used in their singing, wore produced. Tiie “ koauau ” was an instrument of the flute kind, and was generally made ot wood, or else hone. Human hone made the best, koauau; its sound was better. When it was made of wood cork wood was used.

In olden times, about dusk, from almost oven- house in Hie kainga, could bo hoard the soft sounds of the koauau, accompanying the musical Maori voices and laughter, that, floated from the neighborhood ol Die main- steaming pools and spnngs in the. romantic spot of Rotorua, at’that romantic hour. ’Tis a. song of love, sad and tender, Conies it I'rom the far land to embrace this form of mine. Ah ! me. Ki ie a-whi, Reinga kitenei ki-ri-e To! tan.

Sometimes two or more instruments would play in concert, hut they were always in unison.

The koauau. and another flute-like instrument-, Dio pntorina, both played the same tune, but each had its special quality of tone. As all times had words, one or several people would sing to the sound of the Koauau and Dm pntorina, hut very softly, so that the sound of the instruments would not lie lost, and that the words and the sound ol Die flutes might all ho heard.

The koauau was played in the evening, Dio experts often sitting on a special platform, where mats would he spread for them, Die people sitting round about the platform listening. Should a player commence his music, even at the dead of night when the people were asleep, anyone waking up would stay awake to listen, because the sounds were so pleasing to the ear. The sound of Die koauau, although so soft whoa played cither with the breath of the lips or the breath of the nose, carried to a considerable distance.

The disi-nnco between the home of Hinemoa, on Mokoia, and that of Tn ranch,ai. her lover, on the shore ol : Lake Rotorua, was about a mile and a-half, and yet the tune played in unison by Tutanekai on fhe koauau and his friend Tiki on the putorina, readied Hinemoa and conveyed to her quite distinctly certain words which told her the course of action she was to adopt in leaving her people to come to him across the lake from Mokoia. THIS STORY OF HfNEMOA. This is the story of Hinemoa wooed by music; Hinemoa! Hinemoa! Ah! the (Into across the lake; I can hear it calling, calling, And this lonely heart must break. On the island of Mokoia lived a chief of high rank, whoso daughter, a dusky maiden- of incomparable beauty, was named Hinemoa. Proud of her and of their own standing, her relations had not affianced her to a, chief, because thov could not find one whom they considered worthy to be her husband. In a village on the shore of Lake Rotorua a. great chief and his five sons lived with nis tribe. Tutanekai, one of the sons, was a skilled performer on the koauau. on which he was accustomed to solace himself with music in the quiet of the night, seated on a platform which he had erected on the high hillside. His friend Tiki, who played on fhe pntonna, was his companion on those occasions. _ Now Tutanekai, whose birth was an affair of mystery, and who was looked on as an outcast in his family, loved Hinemoa and wooed her with his music. Then it came to pass that Tntanekal’s four brothers each separately resolved to win the love of Hinemoa, and’ for this purpose they had many opportunities of meeting her when the tribes assembled together; but none of them knew that Hinemoa had fallen in love with Tutanekai the first moment she set eyes on him. Both the lovers were shy and feared to make the first advance, and so mat-

ters remained for some time. Hinemoa consoled herself by listening in the dusk to the music of her beloved Tutanekai wafted across the lake. Tutanekai at last took courage and sent a message to IliiiGinoa, telling her of his passion, and found that his love was reciprocated. Ho joyfully kepi, his love secret for some- time, bub when In's brothers were boasting each that lie was Die favored suitor Tutanekai could keep silence no longer ,aud exclaimed : “ No; it is I whom sI)A loves.” His brothers taunted him with the stories concerning his birth and ids unsuitability as a husband Jov a great chieftain’s daughter. Fired by their taunts, he sent a message to Hincinoa asking her to leave her people and come to him. Then said Hincinoa : “IV hat shall he the signal for my coming to yon?” Tutanekai replied: “The sound of the koauau in the nights. That will he 1. Raddle to me!” So it oamo to pass that Tutanekai and his friend Tiki in the quiet night mounted to their 'platform; there Die one played on the koauau and Die other on the putorino. Hincinoa heard the sound “Hinemoa! Hineinna!” ns the flutes moaned across Dio lake. She crept to Die edge of the water, only to find that, the canoes had all been drawn high up by her suspicious people. In despair she sat down near the lake side, broken-hearted, when again the melody of Tutanekai ealed her Hinemoa I Hincmoa I All the sweet dream-echoes wake, Tutanekai is calling, And tliis lonely heart will break.

Swiftlv she started up, and, coming to the lake, she entered the water, and commenced to swim towards the place whence the sound came. Half the night she swam, and when, almost overcome by iatigno, she rested, the melody of her lover’s flute again and again beckoned her onwards to him. Hinemoa 1 Hinemoa! Tutanekai is calling His love across the lake: Can’t .vou hear the sweet notes falling As the evening shadows wako? At last she came to land just allot a the spot where Tutanekai sat. Near by there was a hot spring and a bathing pool,/ Trembling with cold, she slipped gratefully into the warm water. I Now, it happened that Tutanekai. being thirsty, sent- a messenger with a bowl to fetch water from the lake, close by the pool where Hinemoa was Bitting. The maiden was frightened, and called out, gruifly: “For wlioin do you fetch water?” She was told “For Tutanekai.” “Give mo a drink,” she begged, and when she bad drunk she smashed the bowl. The messenger hastened hack, and told Tutanekai what had happened. “ Take another bowl and fetch mo water,” said Tutanekai. Again the tcenc was repeated, and again several times, until all Tutanekai’s bowls were broken. Then, verily, Tutanekai was filled with anger, and, leaping up, he rushed to the pool to take vengeance upon the mysterious occupant. Now, when Hinemoa heard him coming shvness seized her, and she shrank back into the shelter of the overhanging rocks by the hot spring. Her lover, seeing no one, searched under the rocky ledges, and amid the rushes on the shore, until at length he found someone, and, seizing her by, the hand, he cried gruffly: “Who is there?” “It is I,” said Hinemoa softly. “Who are you?” ho repeated. ‘‘Tis I, Hinemoa,” said the maiden. And Tutanekai was silent in the joy of his great happiness! And so were Hinemoa and Tutanekai married. And the lovely river ever Dreams its sweet life away; , Its music ceases never From day to lovely day.