11 Feb 2015
Kimihia, kimihia, rangahaua kei hea koutou e ngaro nei? Tērā kei tua o Paerau. Kei te huihuinga o te kahurangi ka oti atu koutou e.
Kua hinga tētahi o ngā rātā whakamarumaru o Kahungunu, o ngā taonga toi o te motu. He kanohi hōmiromiro, he ihumanea, he kaitiaki nō tōna pātaka iringa kōrero, kua kore. E te pōkaikura o te mate, te kahui o tuawhakarere, haere atu rā. Kia kakengia e koe tō waka whakarei ki Te Reinga e titiro ake ai koe ki ngā tai e rua e papaki mai rā. E kore a muri e hokia. Nā reira haere, haere, moe mai rā. Kua whai atu koe i a Apirana, te tini, me te mano a ka riro mā tō tātou kuia a Hinenuitepo koutou e pōhiri ki tona uma. Nā reira takoto mai rā e te rangatira, takoto. Me tahuri atu ki te whakatauki nei “He kokonga whare e kitea, he kokonga ngākau e kore e kitea’. Moe mai rā.
Creative New Zealand is saddened to hear of the loss of Tama Huata, a leading light in the world of Māori performing arts.
Among many other accomplishments, Mr Huata formed the Takitimu Performing Arts School and developed the first Bachelor of Māori Performing Arts degree programmes. He founded Kahurangi Māori Dance Theatre in 1983. Kahurangi now showcases exciting and innovative Māori dance theatre around the world.
He was the founder of the Waiata Māori Music Awards, leader of the Takitimu Festival, Chairperson of the Ngāti Kahungunu Rūnanga Arts and Culture Board and a former Chair of the Te Matatini Society.
In 2006 he was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit and is internationally recognized as an expert in indigenous arts.
In 2012 Mr Huata received Creative New Zealand’s Te Waka Toi award, Te Tohu Toi Kē, for making a positive difference to the development of Māori arts and culture.
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