Ngā Manu a Tāne are the first of four teams to represent the Waitaha region at this year’s Te Kahu o Te Amorangi Te Matatini festival in Hastings.
Based at Rehua marae at the Christchurch Polytechnic, many of Ngā Manu a Tāne’s performers are former students of Aranui High School. While based in the Ngāi Tahu region, Ngā Manu a Tane welcome members from all corners of Aotearoa.
This is Ngā Manu a Tāne’s third stand at a national competition after the groups establishment in 2006, they have also performed at Tauranga in 2009 and Te Arawa in 2013.
The kaitātaki tane (male leader) is Hohepa Waitoa and the kaitātaki wahine (female leader) is Kerrie-Anna Tana. Hohepa Waitoa also tutors the group alongside Junior Tana and Merita Waitoa-Paki.
A key theme across the group's performance is an acknowledgement of Robert Te Pohe-Bush and Hineteururangi Timothy-Paki who passed away suddenly this year.
The group has chosen to share their Whakawātea 'Kahungunu Ure Paratī' composed by Komene Kururangi and Te Whakapūmautanga Tana which is a tribute to the hosts Ngātri Kahungunu and speaks of Rongomaiwahine and Kahungunu.