Reviews

Book Reviews

Kura Kaumātua: hE hoKiKa mahara/ rECallinG thE mEmoriEs.

Compiled by Hana O'Regan and Charisma Rangipuna

Published by Ake Associates

RRP $25

Review nā Donald Couch

Tikanga says kaumātua have a very special place in our whānau. They are to be respected and listened to. This book demonstrates why over many generations this has come to be so. And still should be.

Bring together a dozen tāua plus one pōua; recognise who they are, make them comfortable, encourage them, be supportive, perhaps even carefully provoke them, but above all listen, and the results are taonga indeed.

The kaumātua met regularly at Christchurch Polytechnic (CPIT), thus everyone lived in Ōtautahi. But only half were Ngāi Tahu (or married to Ngāi Tahu). This diversity of iwi backgrounds adds an extra richness to the experiences and perspectives of these kuia and koroua.

It is obvious that times have changed, but how easy it is to forget that many children of that era grew up in poverty which could mean clothes made from flour bags. Eventually they wanted out. Whether it was by way of nursing, the army, selling in a shop or waitressing, it usually meant leaving the rural marae and going to the big city.

And still the changes continue. Now their children and the mokopuna often don't live in this country any more. Emails and cellphone texts are the norm. However, some of the kaumātua do say they would like phone calls from whānau more often.

ore often.The late Monte Ohia, Hana O'Regan, Charisma Rangipuna and Haani Hata – all of CPIT – did a wonderful job in seeing the project through to this eventual publication. Hana's wistful comment that she had no such written memories from her own tāua to the group at their first session was particularly telling, and obviously resonated with them. The educators also provided a flexible structure for the kaumātua to recall their memories.

The topics included: reflections of childhood and upbringing; 20 things to recom mend to your mokopuna and, my first kiss, and the interviewees' own choice of topic. The result is a wonderful kaleidoscope for the reader.

TE KARAKA has three copies of Kura Kaumātua to give away. One winner will be picked from the letters page. To be put in the draw for the other two books, simply tell us the name of the authors via email tekaraka@ngaitahu.iwi.nz or post (TE KARAKA, PO Box 13 046, Christchurch 8041).

Donald Couch is Pro-Chancellor of Lincoln University and deputy kaiwhakahaere of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

māori arChitECturE: From FalE to WharEnui and bEyond

By By Deidre Brown

Published by Raupō

RRP: $70

Review nā Huia Reriti

It is very probable that my upbringing and life to date has me feeling not as captivated by the story inside this book as the dust cover suggested I might be. Nor did I feel the book was a landmark achievement … So here I am writing a review. It must be noted that I have visited only a few marae and may have the chance to visit more but probably won't.

I am Māori; I practice architecture and was born on the Mainland. There is no ultimate definition of Māori Architecture interrogated here. The content of the book relates more to Māori Architectural history, which is way cool if you dig that sort of thing. Unfortunately, for me at least, the content is mostly of North Island origin; there's not much written regarding the South Island but having seen the incredible Willetts collection at the North Otago Museum there must have been more architecture to research.

The text itself is rhythmically easy to read. The book is more suited to coffee table than the office architectural library.

Huia Reriti (Ngāi Tahu) is a partner in Modern Architect Partners in Christchurch.

hūhū KorohEKE

Nā Kyle Mewburn i tuhi, nā Rachel Driscoll ngā whakaahua. Nā Katerina Te Heikōkō Mataira ngā kupu Māori.

Published by Scholastic

RRP $30

He whakaaro nō Fern Whitau

He pakiwaitara pōuri, he pakiwaitara aroha hoki hai haumiri i te ngākau. Ka pātaitia taua tino urupounamu, arā, kia hemo tātou ka haere tātou ki hea?

Ka tangi a Hūhūtū, tētahi huhu paku, mō tana koro kua hemo. He rite tonu tōna pātai haere, "Hūhū Koroheke! Kei whea koe?" Ahakoa ngā urupare rerekē i te mutunga iho mā Hūhūtū tana ake urupare e whakatau.

I a au e pānui ana i tangi tōku ngākau ki a Hūhūtū. Kua noho tātou katoa i raro i aua paiao pōuri, kua pāngia tātou katoa e te ringa o aituā. Ka mōhio hoki tātou ki ngā tāngata pērā ki a Hūhū Koroheke. Nō reira he ngāwari noa tēnei pakiwaitara te mārama, tamariki mai, pakeke mai.

Te āhumehume hoki o ngā whakaahua, te waimārima o ngā kupu nā Katerina Te Heikōkō Mataira. Pānuitia! Pānui ki a koe anō, ki āu tamariki mokopuna rānei hai whakamauru, hai whakamahana i te ngākau.

hūhū KorohEKE

Written by Kyle Mewburn, illustrated by Rachel Driscoll. Te reo Māori translation by Katerina Te Heikōkō Mataira.

Published by Scholastic

RRP $30

Hūhū Koroheke is a sad but heartwarming tale about grief that poses the question, "Where do we go, what happens to us when we die?

Young Hūhūtū is heartbroken when old Hūhū Koroheke dies and so begins his search for understanding. The little bug is given different ideas about where his koro has gone to but in the end he reaches his own conclusion and moves on.

I shed tears reading this book as Hūhūtū sought to make sense of a sad situation. Death and grief touch everyone, so it is easy for all of us from tamaiti to kaumātua to identify with this cute character who loved his granddad.

With delightful illustrations and delicious words from the pen of Katerina Te Heikōkō Mataira, this story will not fail to delight. Read it aloud to your children and grandchildren or read it to yourself to soothe the soul.

Fern Whitau hails from Moeraki and is a taua who loves to read to her mokopuna.

Album Reviews

standinG in thE rain

Opensouls

From the Crate Records – stocked by most outlets (Real Groovy, Conch records)

RRP $30

Review nā Joseph Tipa

Opensouls introduced themselves with the long player Kaleidoscope in 2006. Their second album Standing in the rain is essentially a period piece in the Motown idiom which picks up where the 70's was rudely interrupted by the following decade. Jeremy Toy aka OTA, Opensouls guitarist, took the bulk of production duties, with some outside assistance from singer/songwriter Tim Guy and string arranger Bruce Lynch. Lynch has lent his experience to realise some beautiful small ensemble orchestration. Tyra Hammond has pulled off the difficult task of singing ballads.

However, Hammond's real strength shows in delivering the heavyweight number Dollars and the up-tempo Otis Redding-influenced Blind to see. Opensouls should be proud of Standing in the rain as seldom does a band produce something as true to a genre as this album does.

WhEn thE FEVEr taKEs hold

Spartacus R

Real Groovy – Self released

RRP $25

Review nā Joseph Tipa

The lineage of Spartacus R can be traced back through Pink Floyd, Hendrix and The Doors to the Delta blues. When the fever takes hold sounds like it was recorded in the seventies, but it is in fact a record made more than thirty years later by the children of that generation. A loyalty to vintage gear and analogue tape helps Spartacus R to achieve their sound, one which is an appropriate soundtrack for psychedelia and science fiction. Its suitability for film led to collaboration with director Giles McNeill who contributed a 3D film for the group's Quadraphonic show in Wellington. The innovative use of multiple speakers to create quadraphonic (four independent sources) live sound was also explored with the guidance of audio engineer Dr Lee Prebble. Lee lent a critical ear during the recording process, to which meticulous attention has been paid; this is evident in the arrangement of the album as well – eight minute epics moving from theme to unexpected theme.

Spartacus R plays Leigh Sawmill on New Year's Eve 09/10.

Joseph Tipa (Ngāi Tahu ki Moeraki, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Maniapoto) is a musician, singer, and songwriter. He is based in Wellington.