Te Mana Kuratahi wrapped up its four-day long Primary School kapa haka competition today, and whoah there were heaps of powerful performances from the tamariki.
Te Kapa Puāwai from Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi Marae have been crowned the top rōpū of the comp.
Are we surprised after this perfect blend of vocals during their waiata?
The Tāmaki Makaurau-based rōpū competed against 44 other schools from up and down the motu.
“The best 🙌,” one supporter wrote on Instagram.
While others left comments sharing they were “proud as” of the rōpū.
Te Kapa Haka o Te Pūwhāriki from Te Kura o Maungatapu placed just behind in second.
“They were magnificent,” one applauded the kapa, while another said: “Just love this - so uplifting.”
Ngā Taiohi from Te Kura o Te Teko came third on the podium.
The competition was hosted in Whakatū, Nelson.
It was epic to see the competition back after a four year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The 45 primary school kapa haka groups across Aotearoa have been battled it with only 25 minutes each to impress the judges.
Each group performed six or seven sections including a whakaeke, waiata tira, waiata tawhito, waiata ā ringa, poi, haka and exiting with a whakawātea.
There were many spine-tingling performances that left us with chills for days. Ka pai to all the tamariki who performed!
The next Te Mana Kuratahi competition will take place in 2025.
