Maori Songs New Zealand / Various

• Track Listing

According to legend, the Maori migrated by canoe from Hawaiki in eastern Polynesia to New Zealand a thousand years ago. As their population increased over time, so did feuding among tribes, and warfare became a prominent feature of Maori culture. Not surprisingly, then, many traditional songs-which actually are monotonic chants with little accompanying instrumentation-deal with raids and battles. One type of song, the haka, was chanted before a battle not only to frighten the enemy but to make the performer himself more fearless. The final portion of a haka composed by one of the most famous fighting chieftains, triumphant after eluding his enemies, is heard at every Maori gathering: "it was death, it was death-it is life, it is life."Other forms of traditional Maori songs featured on this 1952 album are waiata (love songs, lullabies, and laments for the dead) and karakia (incantations to various gods). Liner notes include a history of the Maori, their music, and notes on each of the songs.

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