Records

Very Many Maori Records Now Available by Alan Armstrong Some readers remark on the fact that often our reviews of records appear many months after the records come on the market. The reasons are simple. ‘Te Ao Hou’ is a quarterly magazine. The space which can be devoted to record reviews is limited. The number of Maori recordings coming on the market at present makes it difficult for your reviewer to keep pace with them. Ten years ago almost the only Maori records available on the market were a few 78 r.p.m. shellac discs recorded many years ago. Today the catalogue of recorded Maori music is rich J. Heycoop Photo The Mauriora Maori Entertainers: from left to right, Taite Kupa from Hastings, Joe (Whiro) Tibble from Te Araroa, Kim Porou from Gisborne, Agnes Paipa from Hastings, Ratu Tibble from Te Araroa, and Dawn Nathan (leader of the group) from Lower Hutt. and varied, with all styles, sizes, speeds and degrees of quality. The benefits of this are many. Maori entertainment groups have been encouraged to strive for the generally higher standard required before committing their efforts to record. If their efforts command a good sale, the successful ones then reap a steady benefit from royalties. Secondly, Pakeha and Maori New Zealanders have the opportunity to have in their homes examples of the only music which is distinctively of this country. Thirdly, overseas tourists are able to take back to their own countries mementos of New Zealand in a form which not only evokes happy memories but which can well attract their friends and relatives to come to these shores to see and hear for themselves. One of the foremost firms in the field of Maori (and Pacific Island) recordings is Viking Records Ltd. of Wellington, who export large numbers of their discs to all parts of the world. Already their Polynesian catalogue lists 71 titles with more to come out shortly. This is no mean achievement for a firm which has only been in existence for six years. Now this enterprising company are first in the field with two Maori recordings in stereo. They are reviewed below. Sing Along in Maori with the Mauriora Entertainers Viking Stereo VPS99 12 in. 33 ⅓ LP (also available in monoaural) This is a polished performance indeed from a surprisingly small group. Consisting of six enterprising young Maoris—Dawn Nathan of Wellington, Ratu and Joe Tibble of Tikitiki, Taite Kupa and Agnes Paipa of Hastings and, a later addition, Kim Porou of Gisborne—the Mauriora Entertainers have been in existence less than two years. During this time they have not performed publicly, yet they have appeared on two records as well as filming a number of short ‘spots’ in black and white and colour for the National Film Unit. Each of these features a Maori song or dance, and they are due for release soon both in New Zealand and overseas. They will be seen on television and in the cinema. This is a group with big ideas and the enterprise to back them up. At present the leader, Dawn Nathan, is in the United States working for the Government Tourist Bureau and making arrangements for the remainder of the group to join her there at the end of this year. In the States the Entertainers hope to stage intimate performances of Maori items in night