Composed and Taught

Te Ao Hou, April 1956, Page 46

Composed and Taught Miss Ngawai belongs to Te Whanauarua Tauperi, a sub-tribe of Ngati Porou. She wrote her first song—He Nawe Kei Roto—in 1933. It was a conversation piece between two lovers. It was performed informally as an entertainment action song at the opening of To o te Tonga meeting house at Tokomaru Bay. It was for this occasion that she organised one of her earliest haka parties. Her well-known Hokowhitu-a-Tu party was organised in 1939 to give a final leave farewell to C (Ngati Porou) Co boys at Tokomaru Bay. Her song for that occasion was Arohaina Mai, a melodious composition in which despair is calmed by the peace of God. Her song, ‘E te Hokowhitu a Tu kia kaha ra’ was written over a two year period. She started it, ran out of inspiration, shelved it and finally completed it in a 3-minute burst. This number was first performed at the hui to honour 2nd Lieut Ngarimu, V.C. Miss Ngawai was closely associated with Sir Apirana who used her party a great deal for fund raising. But one of the greatest tributes he paid her was when he arranged for her to teach Maori action songs in the East Coast schools. That was soon after the war. He told her that he was getting old and was in a hurry to get the job done. He wanted to stimulate the school children's interest in action songs and therefore the Maori language. For two and a half years Tuini taught action songs, songs and hakas in schools from Hick's Bay to Gisborne. This has left its imprint in the fact that the young adults of to-day throughout that area have almost a uniform style. Not being able to read music embarrassed Miss Ngawai on one occasion in Auckland just before the war when she was in Walter Smith's Maori choir which used to broadcast over IZB. When she first joined the choir she was given a big music book. Miss Ngawai sat firmly behind

Photograph: Dick Hofma, Wanganui. it. And then, as she tells it: I recognised the tune and said to myself—Boy! This is the same song we sang back in Toko. I let it go. After that she learned by listening. Miss Ngawai is often asked by other tribes to teach them action songs. She will teach them her songs that are appropriate, but she will not teach them their own songs concerning their histories as she feels this would be quite wrong. She notices though that these groups usually revert to their own styles after her teaching has finished and this disappoints her. Although Miss Ngawai has a knowledge of paos and pateres she does not teach them. She believes that because of their tapu nature they cannot be taught along with action songs, but need to be taught in specially consecrated practices. Her musical gifts are extensive and varied. She has a dance band and has taught herself a band-load of instruments; starting off on the mouth organ and ukulele and following these up with jews harp, koauau, saxophone, piano, drums, violin and others.