Te Tīmatanga is here! We are thrilled to launch the virtual offering of our first Takatāpui Festival with you all. This digital delivery hopes to articulate the ngākau and intentions of Te Tīmatanga, while honouring the kaha and dedication of our artists, hapori and history. Our team invites you to join us in building and growing this kaupapa, now and into the future.

Te Kaahu O Rangi (affectionately shortened to TE KAAHU) is a Reo Māori project from singer and songwriter Em Walker (Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Tiipa). Also regarded as Theia, Te Tīmatanga is honoured to house Te Kaahu in our video series. The first waiata, shared with us is ‘E Taku Huia Kaimanawa.’ An ode to Em’s grandmother Rangirara. Te Kaahu honours the skill of traditional Māori songwriting and storytelling through music.

TE KAAHU is a Reo Māori project from singer/songwriter Em Walker (Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Tiipa). Also regarded as Theia, Te Tīmatanga is honoured to house TE KAAHU in our video series. This waiata “Rangirara” is dedicated to TE KAAHU’s late grandmother, sharing her name and also meaning beyond the heavens: “I [...] listened to my kui’s stories about growing up in Port Waikato and she’d tell me about going to dances. I wanted to make this a song that I knew she would’ve danced to”

TE KAAHU is a Reo Māori project from singer/songwriter Em Walker (Waikato-Tainui, Ngaati Tiipa). Also regarded as Theia, Te Tīmatanga is honoured to house TE KAAHU in our video series. This waiata “E Hine Ē,” which was kindly gifted to us for our opening video - is a Takatāpui love song. Soft and soothing - almost lullabuy like, E Hine E reminds us of how organic and innate our Takatāpui love is through its lyricism connecting us to the natural environment.

Brady Peeti and Māia Huia perform Ka Pioioi E live in the Albert Park Caretaker's Cottage for Te Tīmatanga 2022. Captured by Fish and Clips Written by Kereopa Ratapu/Charles Tamai Nicholson

Brady Peeti and Māia Huia perform I Know Where I've Been live in the Albert Park Caretaker's Cottage for Te Tīmatanga 2022.Captured by Fish and Clips Songwriters: Marc Shaiman / Scott Michael Wittman

Pēpi Hā is a multimedia collaboration between siblings Tīhema, Māhina and Matariki Bennett (Te Arawa, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Whakaue, Ingarangi). As a whānau they have merged together their respective practices of music composition, interdisciplinary visual arts, and spoken word poetry. Matariki’s poem creates her own piece of art to keep our whanaunga’s memory alive for our whānau. Captured by Fish and Clips