A special show is taking the next step in its journey at the Tairāwhiti Arts Festival this weekend.
ORO MĀIA is a journey of words and discovery through poems by American storyteller and activist Dr Maya Angelou, translated into te reo Māori and spoken, sung and scored by artists Maisey Rika, Miriama McDowell, Mere Boynton, Erena Koopu, Tuakoi Ōhia and Maarire Brunning-Kouka.
These wāhine toa invite people into their interpretations — revealing and resonating their frequencies of strength, humour, courage and wisdom.
Also featured is a soundtrack of new music by Brunning-Kouka (MĀ and The Fly Hunnies) interlacing contemporary soul, jazz and funk during the October 12-13 show at Lawson Field Theatre.
“It is a celebration of te reo Māori, celebration of the strength of women as portrayed in the original poetry, [the] creativity of Māori [and] inspiration to a new generation of reo speakers and creatives,” says Ataahua Papa, kaihautū Māori at Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival.
Papa initiated Wāhine Toikupu, the first iteration of ORO MĀIA.
Wāhine Toikupu was delivered in 2021 by Auckland Arts Festival in honour of International Women’s Day.
The original concept was a celebration of te reo Māori and was a collaboration with Kotahi Rau Pukapuka, which is responsible for the book He kupu nā te māia being launched later this month.
The translators of the poetry are all wāhine graduates from Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo Institute of Māori Language Excellence. Kotahi Rau Pukapuka is committed to producing 100 books in te reo Māori to create resources for the next generation of reo Māori speakers.
In 2023, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival chief executive and artistic director Tama Waipara and Ataahua talked about what the next iteration of this special piece of work might look like, and from that came ORO MĀIA.
The two put together a wish list of wāhine they wanted to be involved with the project, and, not surprisingly, all were keen to be a part of it.
“This is an opportunity to watch a group of phenomenal women, who are ultra-talented, bringing their own interpretations to the works with music, movement and style.”
It has been created under the dynamic creative direction of Ngapaki and Teina Moetara, the team behind Hāpai Productions and Auckland Theatre Company’s acclaimed 2023 production of Witi’s Wāhine.
Waipara, who is the co-executive producer, is excited about the upcoming premiere, saying he is thrilled to see “this boundary-pushing work” at two major festivals this month.
“ORO MĀIA pays a resounding tribute to the great poet Dr Maya Angelou’s words, offering a theatrical, evocative experience with a legendary line-up of wāhine toa.
“Interlacing dramatised spoken word and a soulful score of fresh new music by Maarire Brunning-Kouka, audiences will be taken on a journey through the words and worlds of discovery.”
The performance at Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will be its first outing in this form, but it will also be presented at the Wellington Jazz Festival with a view to it featuring at Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival 2026, and after that, possibly heading offshore. Those discussions have yet to be held.
●For more info and tickets: tetairawhitiartsfestival.nz/events/oro-maia/.
The details
What: ORO MĀIA
When: October 12-13
Where: Lawson Field Theatre.
