THE MAORI GIRLS OF TURAKINA

Te Ao Hou, 1970, Page 62

THE MAORI GIRLS OF TURAKINA Turakina Maori Girls' College Choir Viking Mono VP255 10 in. LP 33 ⅓ rpm There seems to be a considerable public interest in records of unaccompanied Maori female voices and two more records have appeared to meet this demand. Both records are pleasant listening but both unfortunately suffer from the same defects. Firstly, the covers. Neither cover tells anything about the singers or their schools and there is a disturbing lack of detail as to what the songs are about except for brief descriptions such as ‘sacred song’ on the Turakina cover. I am afraid that I put the blame for this squarely on the shoulders of the schools concerned. Record companies know only too well that cover information enhances the sales value of a recording and, unless I am sadly mistaken, there is no question of the companies refusing to print cover notes. Schools such as Hukarere and Turakina are truly cradles of Maori culture (hackneyed though that phrase is), or if they are not they certainly should be. It should not be beyond either the staff, pupils or interested parents to supply explanatory notes for inclusion on the cover of their record. This is indeed a sad omission. Secondly, after listening to each record, there is an overwhelming impression of sameness, although the Hukarere record does have a little more sparkle. However, there are no adventurous choral arrangements, part singing, descants, etc. which the Maori voice can do so well. The contrast of a haka powhiri or a traditional chant would be welcome. Thirdly, there are far too many songs on both records which are sung straight to easily recognisable Pakeha tunes. It behoves schools such as Turakina and Hukarere to steer clear of Tin Pan Alley as much

as possible and to concentrate instead on original music, particularly that written by Maoris. If Pakeha tunes have to be used then the less well-known should be preferred and with a little ingenuity given much more of a Maori flavour. I am not of course completely against the use of Pakeha tunes but I believe they should be used very sparingly on records (unless it is a tune where the Maori associations are very strong, such as ‘E Pari Ra’), particularly by school groups who have the tradition and resources to do much better. The Pakeha listener cannot help but be assailed by a marked feeling of incongruity when he buys what he thinks is a record of Maori music and then hears Strauss waltzes, ‘Blue Skies’, etc., especially when there are no cover notes to tell him that the performers are not singing about blue skies but about Maori themes such as preserving the treasures of their ancestors, etc. (Perhaps, however, that point would strike the ultimate note of irony.) Finally, both records show the marked fault of much Maori singing, namely bad breath control which results in an inability to sustain notes, particularly at the end of the line. All of this is negative criticism I know but it is offered in the hope that school and other groups yet to record will try and do better. On the positive side both records are full of youthful verve and enthusiasm, the words are clearly enunciated and there is much very tuneful singing. The quality of the recordings is excellent.