2018, Term 2, Week 3&4: Poi E / Slice of Heaven - NZ Music Month Part 3

New Zealand Music Month - Part 3  - Poi E 

Poi E   (1984) by the Patea Maori Club was a number-one hit song and the biggest selling  song in NZ in 1984 - outselling all other international recording artists. It was one of the first songs entirely in Maori language to achieve popular success. It features a blend of Maori culture and Western music influence and had appeal across all generations, but particularly to youth - the so-called "hip-hop generation". (Break dancing was in its earliest days then.) It is still a popular song 

Poi E lyrics were written by Maori linguist Ngoi Pewhairanigi  to promote ethnic pride among young Maori people. The score was arranged by Dalvanius Prime, who created his own record label, Maui Records, when other recording companies showed no interest. 

The song became popular after a news item about it, and its popularity increased when the Patea Maori Club toured the United Kingdom and gave a Royal Command Performance.  It entered the charts again in 2009 after it was used in a Vodafone ad, and in 2010 after featuring in the NZ movie Boy. It is the only NZ song to appear in the charts over three decades. In 2016 the song featured in a movie about it called Poi E: The Story of  our Song. Poi E is also included in the very successful World Vision Kids for Kids Concert featuring massed choirs of  primary children. 

                                     

Taika Waititi (Director of Thor) included a  haka (inspired by Michael Jackson's 'Thriller') to 'Poi E' in the closing credits of the movie Boy (2010). 

Have a go at singing along with the lyrics on this video. 

And another New Zealand Classic - Slice of Heaven by Dave Dobbyn and Herbs. 
It was awarded the "Best Song of 1986" at the New Zealand Music Awards and was number 1 on New Zealand and Australian music charts.  The song was from the soundtrack of Footrot Flats: The Dog's  Tail Tale. The unusual instrument you hear at the beginning is an a synthesised Japanese flute. The video features Dave Dobbyn and Herbs singing and playing instruments, and includes clips of dancers at live performances because they didn't have time to recreate dancing scenes.  In 2009, the song was voted the 7th most popular New Zealand song of all time. 

Here's a version with the lyrics if you want to sing along. 

Artists have had a bit of fun with some music images - what can you recognise? 

       

Dances:

Juniors

Moving to music - Claudia Robin Gunn: Everywhere Stars 

Point your Fingers and Do the Twist

Can't Stop the Feeling 

Get Ready to Wiggle

Jailhouse Rock 

Seniors

Tapati Tapata   (Click on "Show More"  then scroll down a bit to find the lyrics.) 

YMCA

Cheap Thrills 

Beep, Beep, I'm a Sheep just to prove that  anything can be made into a song! (Don't be surprised by the "Meow, meow, I'm a cow" line. it is, after all, a pretty silly song, but there are some fun dance moves. 

Blue (da ba dee da ba dye)  Because Tapati Tapata doesn't make sense either.

Speedy Gonzales
                                                

Songs:

NZ Sign Language ABC song
Old MacDonald had a Farm - in New Zealand Sign Language
Walking on Water - Ben Tipene 
Make you Mine - Ben Tipene 

                     

Add bar lines and clap the rhythm.  Scroll down to find the completed version

Basic

$ n n n q q n q q q n h h Q Q q q Q Q]

Extension

$ d qH n qH h w n q Q nn q H n d]

And with bar lines 

Basic

$ n n n q‘ q n q q‘ q n h‘ h Q Q‘ q q Q Q]   

Extension

$ d q‘H n q‘H h ‘w ‘n qQn‘n q H‘ n d]

And just because it's funny . . .