Nā tētahi kaitito rongonui rawa atu o te ao Māori, nā Tā Tīmoti Kāretu ēnei kōrero:
Ko tēnei mea ko te tito, ahakoa haka, ahakoa mōteatea, ahakoa pao, ahakoa harihari kai, ahakoa ngeri, ahakoa kaioraora, ahakoa pātere, ahakoa waiata ngahau, ahakoa waiata ā-ringa, waiata poi kē rānei, ko te whakakuputanga o ngā whakaaro, o ngā kare ā-roto o te kaitito.
He wā tōna maringi noa mai ana te kupu, he wā anō ki konā te kaitito noho ai he aha te aha, korekore ana he paku aha e puta ake. Ka noho, ka noho ka urupū, ka whaiwhairoa kia oti rawa he kupu, ā, hei reira kua kimi i te taki tika, i te rangi hāngai. I te mutunga iho e kīia ai te waiata he waiata, me hiki ake e te iwi taua waiata, aha rānei, ka kawe i nga huihuinga, i ngā tūtakitakitanga a te iwi, i ngā haerenga anō hoki ki waho o te rohe.
Ko te mana o te waiata kei tōna waiata tonutia e te marea, ā, e mōhio ana tātau kei te nui ngā waiata o tērā momo. Ko te nuinga o ēnei i tēnei kohikohinga nei nō nā noa nei i titoa ai, he tohu e ora tonu ana te pūkenga tito, e ora tonu ana hoki te reo kia tika ai te takoto o te kupu. E wana, e ihi ai, kei te āhua tonu o te rangi me te taki me te mōhio anō o te hunga waiata ki hea hiki ai, ki hea tuku ai. Hei konei kua tino ora mai te waiata.
Kāti hā, e te iwi, mā koutou, mō koutou anō hoki, ngā waiata nei nō reira akona, waiatatia ka whai i tā te kuia rā, i tā Ngoi Pēwhairangi i kī rā mō te reo, ‘whiua ki te ao, whiua ki te rangi, whiua ki ngā iwi katoa’ engari kia huataki mai ki roto o te rohe o Rangitāne ki Te Tau Ihu o Te Waka-a-Māui.
Renowned Māori composer, Sir Tīmoti Kāretu shares these thoughts:
A composition, whether it be a haka, a mōteatea, a pao, a harihari kai, a ngeri, a kaioraora, a pātere, a waiata ngahau, a waiata ā-ringa, or a waiata poi, is the expression in words of the composer’s thoughts and emotions.
There are times when the words just flow, and times when the composer sits in vain, unable to produce a single word. After some perseverance and dilligence, words are finally put to paper, and it is then that a suitable rhythm and appropriate tune is considered. Ultimately though, if a composition is going to be of any value, the people must give it voice and perform it at their ceremonial occasions, their gatherings and their excursions outside of the region.
The integrity of a composition lies in its being performed regularly by many, and we are well aware there are many compositions of this ilk. The majority of songs in this collection are recent compositions, a sign that the art of composition lives on, as does the language, paving the way for good compositions. Whether a song is rousing and exciting or not, depends on the air and rhythm, and the ability of the performers to know when to give it their all, and when to ease off. This is when a song comes alive.
Well then, people, these compositions are for you and about you, so learn them, perform them and give life to what our kuia, Ngoi Pēwhairangi, said about the language, ‘whiua ki te ao, whiua ki te rangi, whiua ki ngā iwi katoa’, but begin by performing them in the region of Rangitāne.
