30 Jun 2016

Live session: He Huinga Whetū

9:52 am on 30 June 2016

A tribute to the late Dr Hirini Melbourne.

 

He Huinga Whetū, graduates of the Toi Māori Aotearoa Pao Pao Pao music programme, are celebrating Matariki by breathing new life into the songs of Pao Pao Pao’s founder, the late Dr Hirini Melbourne.

As part of Matariki, the group are also performing at marae through the Auckland region. Today they have a matinee session at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa in Mangere and an evening session at Manurewa Marae, and on Friday (July 1) they finish the tour at Point Chevalier’s Te Mahurehure Marae.

To give us a preview, three of He Huinga Whetū’s seven-strong line-up - Sherydon Ngaropo Te Tai, Te Karehana Gardner-Toi, Alarmanda Tahu plus their mentor, Seth Haapu, joined Music 101 in the studio with their Matariki selections.