Ariana Tikao plays taonga pūoro Photo: Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts
Performed by Ariana Tikao (taonga pūoro) with the New Zealand String Quartet at the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts 2022.
Manaaki takes inspiration from the pōwhiri process, the ritual of encounter that typically happens on marae. Manaaki, meaning to give hospitality, show respect and generosity for others - is a fundamental concept within te ao Māori.
Manaaki unfolds following the format of a pōwhiri. Philip Brownlee and Ariana Tikao explain -
“It starts with the shifting of energy through the use of the pūrerehua, which indicates something is about to start. Then the kaikaranga start to call and weave their voices together, with pūtōrino and strings shooting up into the heavens and then coming back down to earth. An invocation of tangi follows, bringing in the voices of our ancestors. The next section represents the voices of the kaikōrero, a robust musical discussion among the male voices of the ensemble.
The piece then moves into the hongi, a sharing of our sacred breath, which symbolises peace, and a chance to reflect on the process and transition, before a more improvisational ending that indicates a release and celebration that the ceremony has been completed.”
Ariana Tikao plays taonga pūoro Photo: Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts
Ariana Tikao plays taonga pūoro Photo: Aotearoa NZ Festival of the Arts
Recorded 10 March 2022, Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington by RNZ Concert
Producer: David McCaw
Sound Engineer: Darryl Stack
