Kōrero: Popular music

Dalvanius Prime worked the Australian club circuit in the 1970s as Dalvanius and the Fascinations, and formed a production company called Maui Records in New Zealand in 1983. From then he concentrated on Māori music. His best-known song, 'Poi e', was the result of a collaboration with East Cape writer Ngoi Pēwhairangi and was intended to make Māori children feel proud of their ethnicity. It was sung by the Pātea Maori Club to an infectious break-dance rhythm, successfully fusing traditional Māori culture with up-to-the-minute urban sounds. The song was in the New Zealand music charts for 22 weeks in 1984, including four weeks at number one. It re-entered the charts in 2010, popularised by the movie Boy.

Transcript

Te poi patua
Taku poi patua
Kia rite pa-para patua
Taku poi e

E rere ra e taku poi porotiti
Tītahataha ra, whakararuraru e
Porotakataka rā, poro hurihuri mai
Rite tonu ki te tiwaiwaka e

Ka parepare ra, pīoioi a
Whakahekeheke, e kia korikori e
Piki whakarunga ra, ma muinga mai a
Taku poi porotiti, taku poi e!

Poi e, whakatata mai
Poi e, kaua he rerekē
Poi e, kia piri mai ki au
Poi e, e awhi mai ra
Poi e, tāpekatia mai
Poi e, ō tāua aroha
Poi e, paiheretia ra
Poi, taku poi e

Rere atu taku poi, ti taha taha ra
Whakarunga whakararo, taku poi e

E rere ra e taku poi porotiti
Tītahataha ra, whakararuraru e
Porotakataka rā, poro hurihuri mai
Rite tonu ki te tiwaiwaka e

Ka parepare ra, pīoioi a
Whakahekeheke, e kia korikori e
Piki whakarunga ra, ma muinga mai a
Taku poi porotiti, taku poi e!

Poi e, whakatata mai
Poi e, kaua he rerekē
Poi e, kia piri mai ki au
Poi e, e awhi mai ra
Poi e, tāpekatia mai
Poi e, ō tāua aroha
Poi e, paiheretia ra
Poi, taku poi e

Poi e, whakatata mai
Poi e, kaua he rerekē
Poi e, kia piri mai ki au
Poi e, e awhi mai ra
Poi e, tāpekatia mai
Poi e, ō tāua aroha
Poi e, paiheretia ra
Poi, taku poi e
Poi, taku poi e
Poi, taku poi e

Rere atu taku poi, ti taha taha ra
Whakarunga whakararo, taku poi e