RECORDS

Te Ao Hou, March 1968, Page 60

RECORDS reviewed by Alan Armstrong It was during the early 1950s that I first became interested in collecting Maori recordings—not very long ago really. I well remember scouring Rotorua for suitable records. As the heart of the Maori aspect of the tourist industry, it was virtually the only place where such discs could be bought. The selection was very limited and they were all old 78 r.p.m. 10 inch discs which today are almost museum pieces to the young fry. Columbia had a number of recordings by the Rotorua Maori Choir which had been first issued in the early 1930s. Parla phone featured Ano Hato and Dean Waretini and the Tahiwis and that was about all available. Later Tanza (a label now long defunct) and HMV recorded several groups which included the Ardmore Training College Maori Club of the day, and the Heretaunga Maori Choir, while Stebbing featured the Rangitoto Maori Choir of Auckland. Then came a break-through. The first longplaying record of Maori music was, as far as I know, a Columbia series of three 10 inch LPs of the old Rotorua Maori Choir material. This was followed later by another Columbia release of the concert party which toured Australia in the late 1950s. Kiwi were soon on the scene with several 10 inch LPs which included a record of considerable historical interest. This was a re-issue of material recorded by the Revd Seamer's concert party which toured the United Kingdom with great success at about the time of the coronation of King George VI. Kiwi also issued the first 7 inch EP of authentic Maori music whilst Viking had the first Maori stereo record, of a group known as the Mauriora Maori Entertainers. Since those comparatively early days of Maori LPs the local record companies have now issued in the vicinity of a hundred Maori records, stereo and mono, and in the 7 inch, 10 inch and 12 inch sizes (although 10 inch are now no longer issued). Kiwi and Viking have been the most prolific with other records bearing the HMV, Columbia, Parlaphone, Zodiac, Stebbing, and Pye labels. Of recent date Maori record buffs will have noted a new label on the market, offering a number of quality recordings of Maori and Pacific Islands music. This label is Salem issued by the Salem Record Company of Wellington. Since their first record came on the market in October 1965 this enterprising young company have released some fifty LPs and 45 EPs and a number of records are currently in the course of production. Of their total listing about 75% are Polynesian and the remainder are described by Denis Bailly. one of the two partners in the firm, as middle-of-road country and western type music. In the last twelve months Salem have built up a good export market throughout the Pacific. Not many of the records exported are New Zealand Maori, although there is a modest demand for them from Hawaii. Salem's other Polynesian records are naturally in demand in their island of origin. Salem make their contacts with island groups through agents in the islands and in some cases send a team to an island to seek out and record local talent. They also welcome queries from within and outside New Zealand from groups aspiring to record. I have asked Salem and other companies whether perhaps the field is not almost saturated for at least the time being for New Zealand Maori music. However, they tell me that there is a very steady if not spectacular demand locally for Maori recordings and the sales represent very much the quiet bread and butter income which is so important to record companies. There is little doubt that the local companies have done a wonderful job in the last few years of bringing all types and standards of Maori performance to a wide public both of local people and of visitors to these shores. They have also given many Maori groups the means of obtaining a permanent record of their own efforts and an opportunity to hear, and learn from, the efforts of other groups. This can help them greatly to widen and improve their own standards. Record Review in this issue of Te Ao Hou examines three recent Salem releases, one Maori and, for comparative purposes, two from other parts of the Pacific.