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This programme, produced by Sam Coley for Radio New Zealand National, was a finalist in the New York Festivals Awards in both the Culture & the Arts and Profiles/Community Portraits categories. It played in the Musical Chairs slot of Music 101 on 22 November 2008.
On November 23, 1983, shortly before his first concert in Wellington, David Bowie was invited to visit Takapuwahia Marae in Porirua, the first rock star to be officially welcomed onto a Māori marae. 25 years later, members of the Ngati Toa iwi and music industry professionals involved in the tour look back on the event that Bowie himself called "one of the most hospitable experiences of my life."
This programme features a song that Bowie wrote for the occasion entitled "Waiata", as well as the reaction of Bowie backing singer Frank Simms after hearing a recording of the song played back to him for the first time in 25 years.
[A music bed of Māori music, waiata and excerpts of David Bowie’s music play underneath much of the programme.Most of the speakers are unidentified.]
Nelson, son of the woman kaikaranga who welcomed Bowie in 1983, invites him to return. Rehia Kenny then recalls the song sung for David Bowie and sings a few lines of ‘Manuhiri tuarangi’ and explains that it is used to welcomed distinguished visitors.
An unidentified man talks about how the marae visit came about due to Bowie’s interest in indigenous music. Several unidentified people comment on how the marae was packed for the visit, with about 3,000 people around the marae walls. Maadi Te Kahu and Junior Williams performed the wero or challenge for David Bowie. Rehia says the karanga was performed by herself and Charlotte Solomon, and the haka ‘Ka mate, ka mate’ was also performed [a recording of it is played.]
Hugh Lynn, the representative of promoter Paul Dainty talks about how he organised the marae visit. He explains how despite the huge crowd, Māori protocol meant everyone behaved themselves and the aunties controlled the crowds.
Rehia Kenny explains the procedure with a waiata kinaki following each speaker. Mark Metekingi spoke for Bowie on the marae and Taukere Thomason [?] did the karanga for his party. But then in the wharekai Bowie spoke himself and did his own waiata.
Frank Simms, a background vocalist, together with his brother George, on Bowie’s ‘Serious Moonlight’ tour, recalls the visit to the marae. He explains how David wrote the waiata with them the night before the marae visit. [Archival 1983 recording of their performance is played.]
Frank reacts after hearing the recording for the first time since 1983.
Lennie Pickett, saxophone player in Bowie’s band talks about his experience of the marae visit. He was given a bone flute.
A woman who was a 5 year old in the marae’s kapa haka group remembers performing for Bowie and giving him a kiss on the cheek.
[Music and soundtrack extract from the film ‘Labyrinth’]
A man describes the Takapuwahia marae and the significant features. Another man talks about the history of the marae. Rehia Kenny describes the hongi and recalls Bowie had a pointy, sharp nose. Two other women recall kissing him instead. The iwi presented him with a taonga whalebone carving by Tana Sulzman[?]
Clive Greenwood, Bowie’s tour manager, gives his impressions of Bowie as a very well-balanced person, and says he felt the marae visit very much affected Bowie who appreciated the honour given to him.
Two women who served in the wharekai during lunch says they took photos and got an autograph from Bowie. Frank Simms recalls the meal. A woman says singer Dalvanius Prime visited at the time as well, to see David Bowie. Several people talk about their favourite Bowie songs and memories of the day.