Pōneke-based ensemble Tararua uses taonga pūoro, as well as traditional western instruments, to create soundscapes that are uniquely of Aotearoa. This concert features Tararua in their first public appearance.
Listen to the whole concert here or to separate pieces in the videos below.
The title of this work, Te Karanga o ngā Whētu, means 'song of the stars'. It's a Wellington Jazz Festival commission, composed by Ruby Solly, that focuses on stars that have significance within pūrākau Māori (Māori myths and legends), including Rehua, the star that taught birds, and in turn people, to speak.
This suite explores how mātauranga (wisdom) and pūrākau are passed down through music and chants, and delves into the link between Māori kōrero tuku iho (oral traditions) and jazz, another medium designed to pass on knowledge.
Tararua Photo: Supplied
Tararua is Ruby Solly (taonga pūoro, voice, cello), Al Fraser (taonga pūoro), Ariana Tikao (taonga pūoro, voice), and Phil Boniface (double bass). They’re joined for this performance by Riki Gooch (percussion), Rosie Langabeer (keyboards), and Gerard Crewdson (brass).
The concert begins with Rehua, chief of the stars and father of the tūī and huia, and the origin of human language and song.
Then we’re on to Puaa, a star connected with Matariki and the dawning of the new year, who gifts us inaka, or whitebait, and puawhanaka, or clematis, as winter comes to an end.
Our next stop is Autahi, the anchor of the great waka in the sky. Here the music explores the traditions of voyaging and navigation, and their connection to the stars.
Finally, we meet the star Pōhutukawa, through which we remember and encounter the dead, and the great world beyond.
Produced and engineered by Darryl Stack for RNZ Concert
Recorded at St Peter's on Willis, Wellington on 12 June 2021
Videos by SOUNZ with audio by RNZ Concert
