Sunday, April 25

you know jin, this notion of Poi E as an anthem has always been in the back of my mind ever since Dalvanius passed away. i mentioned this in the music column a few weeks back and it was pretty well received (apart from a few who reckon 'bliss' would be better haha)

could you lot imagine, 30,000 singing Poi E, chanting Poi E in unison as another AB goes for the touchdown? Priceless eh! ;-)

Poi E should be the unofficial anthem of the RWC.
and given the right treatment - Poi E could well be our unofficial National Anthem. Kia Ora!

Glad I am not the only NZer with it playing around my mind!
It brings tears to my eyes and makes the hair stand up on my neck whenever I hear it .. and I am not maori.

I remember in the late 90's, there was Heartland doco, Gary McCormack visited the folk in Patea who were putting on a theatre show about the township, and the impact the freezing works' closure had its people there. What was the Show called? Anyone out there knows of the performance, or had been to it, or had participated in it?

Number 8 in iTunes! TV channel should do a small doco on it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQLUygS0IAQ

Here's the lyrics - and a translation!

E rere ra e taku poi porotiti
Tītahataha ra, whakararuraru e
Porotakataka rā, poro hurihuri mai
Rite tonu ki te tiwaiwaka e

Ka parepare ra, pīoioi a
Whakahekeheke, e kia korikori e
Piki whakarunga ra, ma muinga mai a
Taku poi porotiti, taku poi e!

Poi E, whakatata mai
Poi E, kaua he rerekē
Poi E, kia piri mai ki au
Poi E, e awhi mai ra
Poi E, tāpekatia mai.

Poi E, ō tāua aroha -
- Poi E - paiheretia ra.
POI... TAKU POI, E!

Swing out rhythmically, my feelings
lean out beside me, so deceptively.
Swing round and down, spin towards me
just like a fantail.

Swing to the side: swing to and fro
zoom down, wriggle,
climb up above, swarm around me
my whirling emotions, my poi, Yeah!

Oh my feelings, draw near,
Oh my poi, don't go astray
Oh my affections, stick to me
Oh my instincts, take care of me
Oh my emotions, be entwined around me.

Oh poi, our love...
Oh poi ...binds.
Poi.... my poi, yeah!

Not sure whether these words are right - off a blog - some seem a bit odd but, anyway...

Oh and the karanga (from memory)
rere atu taku poi - fly my poi
titahataha ra - slanting to the side
whakarunga, whakararo - going up going down
taku poi e! - my poi!

*

Yip great clip! for me it was somewhat great to be a boy living in Hawera, Taranaki, seeing the Kiwi Factory in sight. Poi E No.1 on Ready to Roll.

on the flipside, I do recall in the background there was a bit of controversy between Dalvanius and some Iwi Maori about the contemporary treatment of this Waiata, with its electronic beat and synthesizers- Too modern, too flashy, who does he think he is? (D) mixing pop music with traditional. This is not how Maori cultural performance should be presented to the world.
No offence to our kaumatua, for they were of their time and had their reasoning... i wonder if the most of the old people were still around, what would they make of the the latest wave of Poly/Maori sounds. (If it was my Koro, his opinion will still be the same - "ah blardy $%$@!!" hahaha

Personally i am glad Dalvanius and the people associated with him had the foresight to realise this could be done successfully, all packaged neat in a 3 and a half minute pop song. and for that moment, aotearoa and the world is a sweeter place to live in.


How did The Formuyla's "Nature" get best NZ song ever? That was an industry jack-up. Poi-E was what most Kiwis thought should of got that award, and rightfully so.

Actually, most kiwis were divided..between Poi-E and Slice Of Heaven. Not Nature.


Well, maybe with BOY getting great reviews and the hunt for the right song, just maybe, the powers to be might go for Poi E. Then we will ALL be very proud.
3 cheers for Poi E.
As a previous poster said, the Aussies adore their Waltzing Matilda .. and rightly so.
I'm sure NZers would be equally proud of Poi E.


I remember when I lived in Aus, and Air NZ had Poi-E on their inbound flight audio music tracks, it used to make you want to make the jet go faster to get home, made you emotinal for NZ. This was on the Perth - Auck Run.


I love this song and I like Patea. My parents live there ;p
o
It's a strange feeling. Since listening to the link I have been for a walk to the library and back, singing it in my head. Now I can't get rid of it.
Maybe it's called Brain Washing! Lol!


I love this song and I like Patea. My parents live there ;p

Lucky them! They can be very proud. Now a very famous place.


I remember in the 80's (82) not wanting to go out for Sat Night on the town until "Ready To Roll" had been on at 6pm, with Poi-E at No.1


FYI. Poi E was written by linguist Ngoi Pewhairangi; the music was scored by Dalvanius Prime.


I remember, taking my shy 4 year old grand daughter, to see the Patea Maori Group in concert here in Hawera. When they came on stage her eyes were nearly popping out of her head.They started singing Poi-E and she was in another world!!She was up on her feet singing as loud as she could. She didn't stop talking about them for weeks!

Considering that Poi -E was competing with big acts like Duran Duran for the NZ Dollar back in 1982, it did well. Just about every home must have had a copy, or close to it.

yip Poi E went on to be the biggest NZ single in 1984.


Does anyone know the soundtrack songs to Boy? I've looked, but can't find. Great music

1984 saw Eurythmics, Frankie Goes To Hollywood & INXS storm the charts.

I love this song brings me back to my child hood and yep we had this song on record, would love to hear more of it on the radio

haha 1984 dude! Before KFC in Hawera there was the BIG MC! LOL


My apologies ..you are right....don't know why I thought of 1982, it was of course 1984. First hit the NZ charts in March 1984 (wikipedia.org). Niceone...sorry for that

This was in the 70s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQLUygS0IAQ&feature=playe
r_embedded

Im not sure wot the question was but my sis is in love with on of the babies in this vid.... long story ... but if you are from Ngara you prob know what im babling about

It is a great song and it should be a part of NZ culture.....that guy break dancing (video back in the 80's) and easy to listen to.....i recently sold an original tape of the club playing this live......the buyer was very happy.

just watched the clip of the good morning. great interview. how would we get tVnz to do a programe about the group (again)
are there any clips on dalvanius ??
refer to my previous earlier posts.
this song should be DEFINATLEY included in our All Black world cup....as one other post said, imagine the crowd, we when score, that this is played, all hairs would be standing up.....

We sing our national anthem in both maori and english now.
Could we not have some english words wound into it and a 2010 version ready for the World Rugby Cup? Is that too much to ask?

Saw the movie.."Boy" on Friday and absolutely loved it. The sound track is fabulous and I would love to buy it if it is released. Make sure you see it!!!! Acting is amazing and so funny in a very natural way.

This thread has convinced me that there should be a public campaign to make "Poi E" the official RWC song. If the passion shown for it here is anything to go by it couldn't possibly fail as I think many other Kiwis would feel the same.

My ex's lilly white sister is in that video in the maori club..bahahahaha....

I'm lily white and I would have been very proud to have been in that video. Well done to all who were lucky enough to take part!
You are now an important part of NZ history.

I used to live in Patea and would go and watch the Patea maori club practcing, good times they were .

Patea and "Poi E" back in the Charts

Jumped in at #39 this week from the popularity of the Film "Boy", Making it into the charts 3 times in 3 decades, I wonder if the Patea maori club gets any royalties from this song as their clubrooms are looking rather shabby.
Patea once a thriving town in South Taranaki, now not so, Who here has rellies living there and who had family living there in its heyday

This was in the 70s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQLUygS0IAQ&feature=playe
r_embedded

Patea is a ghost town, or at least it was when we passed through about 5 days before xmas

my grandfather used to work there in the 70's. i remember he used to have a morris 1100 car, and i used to travel with him from hawera to patea to the garage and morris dealership there for a service and a warrant. in the mornings with the freezing works going, in the eyes of a 7 year old it was like mayhem! people everywhere, so busy!

the main road was narrower too :-)

used to stop of at the factory butchers, pick up a forequarter or a bag of pork bones real cheap.

Has anybody on here seen the film 'Pallet on the Floor'. story by local author th late Ronald Hugh Morrison. Check it out, its good! Shot on location in and around Patea with shots of the Factory in its heyday!

if anyone wants the video in mp4 format http://sites.google.com/site/clipone/home/poi-e-video

Here's a link for a clip and interview from the current group...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQdvZ0lTVU4

Awesome song, possibly the words to which are as well known to Kiwis as Pokarekare ana!
great childhood memory... esp. the bleached hair guy up on the waka busting his moves.

I used to work with some of those older ldies in the group. About 4 of them where sisters or sister in laws. Lovely people who couldn't do enough for you. Just watched the interview and recognised 3 of them. Wonderfula nd thank you for the link.

my nana lived there .Died 1980.up till then,i spent all my holidays there with her.Had cousins at whenakura?? from a farming community.I even worked in the local tearooms during Christmas break.Havent been back since nana died,but need to go back and check it out

This was the first time ever a Maori song had been released for the charts without any english verses. Well done Dalvanius and Patea.

Yes, patea maori club still performing all over the place. did a live performance at the local cinema in hawera on thursday for the opening of the movie. past members promote the new ones but are still very much the backbone of the club.

could be rambling here but i'll share it with yous anyway. grew up in Hawera and my fondest memories is of my grandfather up early at 4.00am getting prepared to go to work down in Patea. i'd be up too having breakfast of porridge and cream, big cuppa tea reading Commando comics. Nana would make him up a lunch of barracuda bread sammies with hogget and tomato, and a bottle of tea, and it all went into a battered old leather doctors bag. He rode a BSA superrocket, unbaffled silencers, and the roar it would make in the early morning was hell terrific; you could hear him from one end of South Road in town to the other.

somehow the neighbours never complained..