A Maori sung-poetry form of New Zealand, composed and performed for laments, love, lullabies and ceremonial occasions, carrying genealogical and historical knowledge as well as emotional expression, and remaining a living, actively composed form on the marae today.
Facts
Place of OriginNew Zealand, Maori oral tradition of great age, continuing to the present. 1 StructureUnrhymed sung verse organized by melodic phrase rather than fixed syllable count, composed for oral and communal performance. 1 Notable Example"Pokarekare Ana," among the best-known traditional waiata, still widely performed today. 1 Connections
Form Of Genre
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Sources
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Wikipedia: Maori music
Songs and waiata sectionQuote, Songs and waiata section
Songs (waiata) are sung solo, in unison, or at the octave.
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