Press Release – Maori TV
Māori Television presents its most extensive coverage yet of the ASB Polyfest as the official television partner of the largest Polynesian festival in the world.
ASB POLYFEST 2021 will showcase the best of Auckland’s secondary school kapa haka performing on the Māori stage this today, Friday and Saturday – live on Te Reo channel (Sky 82, Freeview 15) as well as live streamed and available on demand on www.maoritelevision.com.
Each kapa haka performance will also be repackaged and featured in its own half-hour show on Māori Television and Te Reo at a later date – a total of 45 episodes.
Samoan stage coordinator Melegalenuu Ah Sam.
Photo: RNZ / Mabel Muller
While cultural dance performances are usually the spectacle of the show, some students opt for a much smaller component of the festival.
One of the Samoan stage coordinators Melegalenu u Ah Sam said the idea of running a speech competition was initiated well over a decade ago and had been going strong since. The teachers of the Samoan language were looking at it and thought, how can we use the language, besides singing and dancing? so we decided to give it a go, she said. It s all about language. Dancing and singing [are] not complete without the language itself so we need to try and improve the oral communication these kids have.
Polyfest a celebration of tangata whenua, tangata moana 13 Apr 2021 14:03 PM
More Related Stories
HASH(0x3f26328)
Polyfest starts tomorrow, and Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson says after two year’s of disruption the kids are raring to get on stage to celebrate their various cultures.
Last year the Auckland secondary schools cultural competition couldn’t go on because of the Covid-19 lockdown, and the previous year it was cut short because of the Christchurch mosque attacks.
Ms Davidson has a son performing as part of his school’s Niuean group - even though he has no Niuean whakapapa - which she says is an indication of the spirit the festival encourages.
Covid-19 caused the cancellation of Polyfest last year, while 2019 s festival was cut short by the Christchurch terror attacks.
Polyfest is the annual Māori and Pasifika cultural highlight for Auckland secondary schools and it started with a flag raising of Pasifika and Mana Whenua colours before a pōwhiri of welcome to guests and performers.
Polyfest director Seiuli Terri Leo-Mau u
Photo: RNZ / Mabel Muller
Polyfest director Seiuli Terri Leo-Mauu said they were really excited to have the festival under way after last year s Covid-19 cancellation. There s still a lot of uncertainties and a lot of anxiety out there but at the same time it s kind of overcome by the resilience of these kids and the resilience of the community that comes around this, said Seiuli.
Pacific scoop co nz » ASB Polyfest 2021 Live And Free-to-air – On Māori Television scoop.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from scoop.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.