To celebrate New Zealand Music Month, Kōkiri delves into the true story of famous Māori composer and poet Kohine Te Whakarua Ponika (Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou).

Kohine Ponika was born in Ruatoki on 28 June 1920 and was one of eight children of Hinerotu Numia (Tūhoe) and the Rev Wharetini Rangi (Ngāti Porou).

Kohine’s compositions are some of the most popular Māori music ever written, like “Karanga Aotearoa E”, “Kua Rongorongo”, “Poi Porotiti Atu”, “Tōia Mai Rā”, “Ngā Mahara” and more. Few people realise that these waiata were all created by one composer – who couldn’t read a note of music.

Kohine’s whānau recently launched the CD “Ka Haku Au – A Poet’s Lament” bringing together an authentic reflection of how Kohine envisaged her songs might one day be heard.

The CD contains 10 of her famous waiata. While the waiata retain the same rhythm and tempo, some now include sax, strings and bass.

The CD also inspired a documentary drama on Kohine Ponika’s life that was aired on Māori Television on 6 May as part of New Zealand Music Month celebrations.

Māori Television General Manager of Programming Haunui Royal says viewer feedback about “Ka Haku Au – A Poet’s Lament” has been overwhelming. According to one couple from Levin, the documentary “captured a time that we, as the next generation, have not known. It was truly inspiring and uplifting and a beautiful example of our whakapapa as Māori people”.

Mr Haunui Royal says the channel’s New Zealand documentary slot, “Pakipūmeka Aotearoa”, showcases local programmes that reflect life in this country as well as giving viewers a window into the world of Māori. The original proposal for “Ka Haku Au – A Poet’s Lament” stood out as a fitting tribute to an outstanding wahine Māori.

“A poet and composer, Kohine Te Whakarua Ponika was not formally trained in music but left behind a musical legacy carried on into modern times by her whānau and iwi. It was time to bring her story out to our audiences,” says Mr Royal.

The standard autobiographical approach to the documentary drama recreates moments of Kohine’s life, including when she composed her famous Māori songs hit after hit on a ukulele at her kitchen table in Turangi. The cast of the documentary was also made up of Kohine’s whānau.

“Without the film budget we still hoped to bring an element of cinematography to this very special project,” says documentary producer Maramena Roderick.

“After hearing Kohine Ponika’s story, all our crew came on board with hearts rather than invoices,” she says.

The documentary takes everyone on a journey to the days when music was for the sheer pleasure of singing, when feet tapped irresistably and when hips swayed.

Renowned for her sense of humour, Kohine was born in a cornfield and later wrote, “It’s a wonder I wasn’t called Kaanga or Corny. Still Kohine is near enough.”

To celebrate New Zealand Music Month the Ponika whānau have two copies of the “Ka Haku Au – A Poet’s Lament” CD to give away.