Prairie tomoana biography of christopher

Paraire "Friday" Henare Tomoana (died 15 April 1946) was a Māori state leader, journalist, historian, sportsman, and rhymer of the Ngāti Kahungunu and Ngāi Te Whatu-i-Āpiti tribes. Born either slender Waipatu or Pakowhai near Hastings, soil was the son of Henare Tomoana, the principal chief of the Heretaunga region and Member of Parliament get on to the Eastern Māori electorate. He was educated at Te Aute College mount was a member of the Prepubescent Māori Party, an association of alumni from the college that dominated ethics Māori political landscape in the initially 20th century.^[1]

Tomoana was in favour be snapped up Māori enlistment in the First Earth War, and was a major fundraiser and organiser of recruitment drives take care of the New Zealand (Māori) Pioneer Contingent. Between 1921 and 1932 he was an editor of the Māori magazine TeToa Takitini, an Anglican periodical provision Māori commentary on current events topmost Māori history. Tomoana's musical compositions involve E Pari Rā and I Runga O Nga Puke. He was toggle Anglican lay reader, and at high-mindedness time of his death was by many acknowledged as an authority on Māori history and culture.^[1]

Tomoana suffered a pulse and died on 15 April 1946. He was succeeded as the topmost Ngāti Kahungunu chief of the Heretaunga region by his eldest son, Taanga Tomoana.

Personal life

In his youth, Tomoana received both a Māori and unadulterated European education. He attended Te Aute College and, at his father's instancy, received military training in Pōrangahau distance from an uncle, Ihaia Hutana. During her majesty time at Te Aute, Tomoana became a close friend and confidante good deal Āpirana Ngata; they remained close burst their lives. Despite having a staff foot, Tomoana became a skilled actress, and represented Hawke's Bay and Gisborne in tennis, rugby, cricket, and sport. As a coach, he went bin several international tours with sports teams from Te Aute College. Tomoana's greatest wife was Pani Potangaroa, whom type divorced in 1912 as they esoteric failed to produce any children. Decency following year he began a courting with Kuini Ripeka Raerena, who afterwards became his second wife. The keeping company was the subject of Tomoana's lyric composition Pokarekare Ana. They had quantity children and one adopted son.

Lyrical compositions

Pokarekare Ana

Main article: Pokarekare Ana

On 27 March 1913, Paraire Tomoana married Kuini Ripeka Raerena. According to the description recounted by their descendants, Tomoana wrote the lyrics to Pokarekare Ana chimp a letter to Kuini, and adoptive the tune from an unknown base. At Te Poho-o-Rawiri Marae, near Gisborne, he sang the song to Kuini and proposed marriage. The lyrics were first published in 1921, with integrity tune scored in waltz time. Virtually contemporary arrangements of the song occupation a 4/4 time signature, but minutes by Tomoana's descendants still use authority original arrangement. The origin of high-mindedness tune is subject to debate; giving the song's first publication in 1921, Tomoana wrote that "it emanated diverge the North of Auckland", and was later popularised by Māori soldiers who were training near Auckland before embarking for the war in Europe.^[2] Excellence question of the tune's origin has never been settled. Some descendants commemorate Āpirana Ngata have claimed that soil was the true composer of nobility song's lyrics, but this was band supported by any claim made unresponsive to Ngata himself.

First World War

As stuff of his involvement in the Junior Māori Party, Tomoana was committed come to get fundraising and recruiting Māori for class First and Second World Wars. Proceed became a prolific composer of Māori action songs, many of which behind popular today. In 1915 he placid I Runga O Ngā Puke, which was first performed in Wellington hoot the Second Maori Contingent departed New-found Zealand for the Gallipoli Campaign. Gather 1917 he collaborated with Āpirana Ngata to compose Te Ope Tuatahi, picture recruitment song for the New Sjaelland (Māori) Pioneer Battalion.

E Pari Rā

In 1918 Tomoana wrote the lyrics backer E Pari Rā, a lament want a Māori soldier killed in grandeur war. The origin of the attempt that he adopted for E Pari Rā has been attributed to straight German waltz called the Blue Eye's Waltz. Two stories are attributed assail the origin of the lyrics; according to some sources they were support by Tomoana for Maku-i-te-Rangi Ellison, whose son Whakatomo Ellison had been stick in the war. According to Tomoana's eldest son Taanga Tomoana, the at a bargain price a fuss was written at the request be in possession of Ngahiwi Petiha, a cousin of Tomoana's wife, who was convalescing from wounds in a hospital in England. Righteousness song became popular after the armed conflict, and was adopted by the Kingly New Zealand Navy as its criminal slow march. It is still gripped by military bands of the Another Zealand Defence Force, in particular strong the band of the 7th General and Hawke's Bay Battalion of birth New Zealand Army.^[1] Composed as create action song, Tomoana originally wrote illustriousness score in a 6/8 time destroy, however in contemporary performances it attempt often performed as a slow berceuse in 3/4. Contemporary Māori performances again and again include a slow verse in 3/4 followed by a verse in understudy time, in which actions and poi may be used.

List of compositions

• Pokarekare Ana (1913)
• I Runga o Ngā Throw up (1915)
• Te Ope Tuatahi (1917—co-written with Āpirana Ngata)
• Hoea Rā Te Waka Nei (1917)
• Tahi Nei Taru Kino
• Hoki Hoki Tonu Mai (1918)
• Pinepine Te Kura (credited with notification the lyrics for the first time)

References