Ka ara ake rā

Kaitito / Composer – Hana O’Regan
Rohe – Akaroa – Kāi Tarewa, Kāti Irakehu

Whakamārama / Explanation

He waiata tēnei mō Akaroa i titoa i te tau 1997. Nā tētahi tino pōua o Kāi Tahu, a Henry Robinson kā kōrero mō te waiata nei i a māua e noho tahi ana i tōna marae i Ōnuku. I kōrero mai te pōua rā mō tōna pirika ki taua wāhi a Ōnuku me tōna aroha ki kā āhuataka miharo o tōna whenua, ā, nā reira te wairua o te waiata nei. Heoti anō, i karakahia ia e te hākui o te pō i mua i te titoka o tēnei waiata, ā, i mau anō ahau i taua taniwha o te amioka.

This song is about Akaroa and was composed in the year 1997. The themes in the waiata come from a discussion with a well known Pōua of his time, Henry Robinson, during a short time spent together on his marae at Ōnuku. He told me of his deep attachment to the place that is Ōnuku and his love for the glorious attributes of his land, and it is these things that form the essence of this song. It is with regret however, that he was called by the mother of the night before the waiata was composed, and again I felt the consequences of the curse of procrastination.

Ka tikaka whakamahi mō te waiata nei / Notes on appropriate usage of this waiata

He pai tēnei waiata hei waiata kīnaki i te wā o te pōwhiri.

This waiata is appropriate for formal pōwhiri as waiata kīnaki.