Wairua Tapu

“Ki te wātea te hinengaro, me te kaha rere o te wairua, ka taea ngā mea katoa.” - Ngāpō Wehi

He iho pūmanawa, he kaiaka ki te tito waiata, he poutiriao nō te ao haka, nō te ao Māori whānui tonu. Inā hoki te huhua o ngā taumata i ekea e Koro Ngāpō, e Kui Pīmia Wehi, i te wā o te ora, ka mutu ko ō rāua ritenga anō ko te whetū tārake i te rangi ka tiripapā ki te whenua, e kore pea e kitea anō i te ao nei.

Prominent figures in Māori performing arts and music, Honorary Doctors Ngāpō and Pīmia Wehi (nee Te Ua) were hugely influential in the kapa haka scene for more than four decades, having won numerous awards for their contributions to the artform, including seven national kapa haka titles. They were the founders of world renowned kapa haka, Te Waka Huia, who have claimed 5 of those national titles.

This waiata resonates throughout Aotearoa and is one of the many nostalgic classics that continues to be sung nationally and internationally. It was first performed by Te Waka Huia in 1994 at the Aotearoa Traditional Māori Performing Arts Festival held in Hāwera. The festival was known originally as the Polynesian Festival and is now known as Te Matatini.  

The genesis of this waiata was inspired by the most beautiful rendition of ’Holy Spirit’, a hymn that was heard by Dr Ngāpō Wehi at the tangihanga of his beloved sister. The inclusion of Māori Sign Language in the performance was to acknowledge the shocking deaf statistics of Māori at the time; one of the many unprecedented feats attributed to the Wehi legacy.

It is a song of gratitude for the myriad blessings of life. It is so simple in composition and yet so calming for the mind, body and soul. Its impact on audiences is profound and will continue to resonate for generations to come.

Nā Tuirina Kaa Memory Wehi (mokopuna)