Patea Māori Club’s iconic 1983 single ‘Poi E’ is finally being acknowledged as an important part of our rich musical history as the recipient of the 2021 IMNZ Classic Record.
Poi E Photo: SUPPLIED
The IMNZ (Independent Music New Zealand) Classic Record award acknowledges New Zealand records released over 20 years ago on an independent label that have become quintessential nuggets of our musical history. Previous winners include Shona Lang South (1987), Moana and the Moahunters' TAHI (1993), and The Clean Boodle Boodle Boodle (1981).
Recorded and released in late 1983, the single spent 22 weeks on the charts and four weeks at no. 1, which was unprecedented for a song in te reo Māori.
'Poi E' was written by te reo advocate, linguist and composer, Ngoi Pewhairangi and music by Dalvanius Prime in 1983. The song was a way to encourage young Māori to be proud of being Māori.
