THE MAGIC OF MAORI SONG

Te Ao Hou, March 1968, Page 60

THE MAGIC OF MAORI SONG Salem XP 5025 33½ 12in. L.P. This record features ‘The Polynesian Studies Group’. Unfortunately it does not say which Polynesian studies group or give any information about the group at all, which is a great pity. Unless I am very much mistaken this is

the Polynesian Studies Group of the Wellington Teachers' Training College and the record represents a very good effort indeed from a group which includes only four Maoris and three Pacific Islanders. The remainder of the membership of some 26 students are Pakeha. The quality of the recording is excellent and words come through very clearly. The singing is good and there are some very pleasing harmonies. The record itself, with fifteen tracks, represents good value and quite a wide selection. Each side includes two numbers from the Cook Islands. These include ‘Nga-Pu-Ariki te Vaka o Ru’ a canoe song from Aitutaki, well known to New Zealand Maoris as ‘Toia mai, Toia mai te Waka nei’. It is good to hear local groups turning their attention to the music of their first cousins (if not brothers) in the Cook Islands. The Cook numbers are very well done except for some slurring in ‘Mauri Tikitiki’, a song from Manihiki, which shows that not everyone was certain of the words. Of the Maori numbers from New Zealand, ‘E Rui’ or the locust song is one of the best. The main flaw is the sketchy nature of the cover notes. I mentioned in my last review how it has been forcibly brought home of late that it is usually the actual group being recorded which is at fault in this respect. A group such as on this record could have been expected, I feel, to provide reasonably comprehensive explanatory notes to the items. This would have greatly increased the average listener's understanding and enjoyment of the record.