From the 1920s, Sir Āpirana Ngata began collecting and annotating these traditional songs – a massive undertaking that, with the help of translators Pei Te Hurinui Jones and later Hirini Moko Mead, became the treasured four-volume Ngā Mōteatea.
This book, published in association with the Polynesian Society, is an introduction to Ngata’s classic collection. Its first essay outlines the origins and publication history of the Ngā Mōteatea volumes; the second celebrates the power and meaning of Māori song, discussing the styles and roles of the songs in traditional life, the poetry, and the cultural content, tribal origins, composers and methods of composition. With dual text in English and Māori, illustrations, and ten songs reproduced from the volumes, Ngā Mōteatea: An Introduction is a perfect entry point for students, teachers, scholars or singers interested in learning about and passing on the rich and vibrant poetry of ngā mōteatea.