“Unravel the mystery and the history surrounding New Zealand’s favourite love song and our unofficial national anthem Pōkarekare Ana. We trace the romantic history of Pōkarekare Ana, which is said to be written to persuade Ngāti Porou elders to bless a marriage proposal. Not everyone agrees with the claim to the song’s history, however. In 1987 then Prime Minister David Lange was publicly challenged over his party’s right to use the song in his political campaign. We hear from his challenger Ngātai Huata and Lange’s immediate response at the time.
Includes a number of performances from over the decades including St Joseph’s Girls’ Choir singing in the Waitomo Caves in 1960 and opera singer Inia Te Wiata performing the song in English shortly before his death in 1971. And in a recent performance, entertainer Hinewehi Mohi enlists a 30,000-strong rugby league crowd as her backing singers.
As one of the documentary participants explains: "It’s a mesmerising type of melody…most of the words are easily remembered and even for the most hardened Kiwi, it still conjures up some interior view they have of this country.”
-from the TV One Publicity Press Kit
He whakamātautau te hōtaka nei i te waiata aroha nō mua noa atu a Pōkarekare Ana. Nā wai i tito, nā wai rā te rangi i hanga? Kāre ētehi e tino tautoko i ngā kōrero mō te putanga mai o te waiata nei. Heoi, e tautoko katoatia ana te ngako, me te ia o ngā kupu. I te tau 1987, ka tangohia e Pīmia David Lange te waiata, ā, ka noho hei tino waiata mō tōna pāti tōrangapū a Reipa. Kātahi ka puku te rae a Ngātai Huata. Nō hea tōna mana ki te tiki atu i taua waiata hei waiata mōna? E whai ake nei, ko ngā whakamahukitanga.
Ngā tāngata i kitea, i rangona rānei:
Hinewehi Mohi (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tūhoe), kaiwaiata Māori
Howard Morrison (Te Arawa)
David Beatson (Ngāti Pākehā), Air New Zealand
Nina Baxter (Ngāti Pākehā)
Henare Te Ua (Ngāti Porou, Ngā Pōtiki, Te Whānau-a-Kai o Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki, Ngāti Ruapani, Te Whānau-a-Tarāwaho, Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Arawa), Kaiwhakapāoho and grandson of Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata.
Ngātai Huata (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Pāhauwera), Granddaughter of Paraire Tōmoana.
Rau Green (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau ā Apanui, Te Arawa), mokopuna of Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata.
Max Cryer Writer Musician (Ngāti Pākehā)
Tama Tōmoana (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou), Son Of Paraire Tōmoana; Tama Huata (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Pāhauwera), grandson of Paraire Tōmoana.
Ngā tāngata i kitea:
Kiri Te Kanawa (Te Tai Rāwhiti, Ngāti Maniapoto), Tā Apirana Turupa Ngata (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau ā Apanui), Paraire Tōmoana (Ngāti Kahungunu), Charles Ropatini, (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou), Mrs Tai Green (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau ā Apanui), Tama Huata ( Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Pāhauwera), Te Rōpū o Kahurangi Culture Group, John Tamihere (Ngāti Porou, Whakatōhea, Tainui), David Lange Prime Minister (Ngāti Pākehā),
Ngā wāhi i kitea:
London, Pōneke, Waiapu River, Pakipaki, Te Mata o Rongokako, Te Aute College, Tokomaru Bay, Ruatōria, Waiomatatini, Poho o Rawiri Marae, Waipatu Marae, Rotorua, Tākitimu Performing Arts Centre
Ngā ingoa tāngata i whakapuakina:
Sir Apirana Turupa Ngata, Paraire Tōmoana
Ngā wāhi i whakapuakina:
Waiapu, London, Hastings, Korea