The Haka

I need something to psyche me up..The Haka, the generic term for Maori dance, is performed by the New Zealand All Blacks national rugby team before all their matches.. as described on the All Blacks website,"more than any aspect of Maori culture, this complex dance is an expression of the passion, vigour and identity of the race".. it so intense, hot blooded that you see fire, determination and passion in the eyes of the rugby players as they performed the dance, and its oh so manly.

also from one of the Haka website,", found this interesting read abt Hakka :

What is Haka?

"The haka is a composition played by many instruments. Hands, feet, legs, body, voice, tongue, and eyes all play their part in blending together to convey in their fullness the challenge, welcome, exultation, defiance or contempt of the words."

"It is disciplined, yet emotional. More than any other aspect of Maori culture, this complex dance is an expression of the passion, vigour and identity of the race. It is at it's best, truly, a message of the soul expressed by words and posture.."

One of the initial refrains which the leader of the haka utters just prior to everyone performing the haka itself is shown below. These words simply serve to remind the performers how to comport themselves when they do the haka. They should be shouted out in a ferocious and staccato manner, designed to instil strength and determination into the performers, such that they enact the haka with the power and force required.

Ringa pakia
Uma tiraha
Turi whatia
Hope whai ake
Waewae takahia kia kino

Slap the hands against the thighs
Puff out the chest
Bend the knees
Let the hip follow
Stamp the feet as hard as you can

Also essential to the art of haka are pukana (dilating of the eyes), whetero (protruding of the tongue performed by men only), ngangahu (similar to pukana, performed by both sexes), and potete (the closing of the eyes at different points in the dance, performed by the women only). These expressions are used at various times in the performance to lend meaning and force to the words.

It is important to realise that haka are generally not uniformly enacted, with all participants acting in time. The best haka involve a good deal of spontaneity and creativity as the performers interpret the words and feel the power of the haka take hold of them.

The Words of Ka Mate
Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!
I die! I die! I live! I live!

Ka mate! Ka mate! Ka ora! Ka ora!
I die! I die! I live! I live!

Tenei te tangata puhuru huru
This is the hairy man

Nana nei i tiki mai
Who fetched the Sun

Whakawhiti te ra
And caused it to shine again

A upa ... ne! ka upa ... ne!
One upward step! Another upward step!

A upane kaupane whiti te ra!
An upward step, another.. the Sun shines!!

Hi !!!