A Number of Problems

Te Ao Hou, June 1964, Page 34

A Number of Problems The most obvious reason for the failure of the younger generation of Maori people to learn the old songs can be found in the decline of the language itself. More and more, the language of the younger city-dwelling generation tends to be English, and with inability to speak Maori, an inability to learn the songs naturally follows. The remedy here is not difficult to find. Many young people are now gaining their first appreciation of the language through textbooks and Adult Education classes. In these classes the introduction to classical Maori is apt to be made through the texts of the traditional waiata and patere. A song is of course much more than a text, and for some people there are difficulties intrinsic to the singing style. The conventions are unfamiliar and at first the melodies sound strange. Here, reference may be made to the article, ‘The Music of Maori Chant’ which appears elsewhere in this issue. To some, lack of opportunity presents a barrier. At one time most singers picked up their songs simply by attending meetings and listening to the songs as they were performed. Nowadays, not only are the songs performed less often, but younger people, through pressure of work and other interests, have fewer opportunities to attend the meetings. As a result, the songs can seldom be learned in the old manner. If they are learned at all it is not because they are just ‘picked up’, but because a conscious effort is made to learn them and because someone has taken the trouble to teach them. The remaining difficulties in the way of the person who wishes to learn the traditional songs are nearly all concerned with custom.