waiata

Waiata is the Māori word for song. It refers to a broad range of vocal music in Māori culture, from traditional chants and laments to modern compositions. Waiata express history, language, whakapapa (genealogy), and values, and are performed at celebrations, ceremonies, and daily life across iwi (tribes) and communities.

Traditional waiata are categorized in several ways. Waiata mōteatea are chants that may be sung or spoken, often for ceremonial occasions. Waiata tangi are funeral songs. Waiata-ā-ringa are action songs performed with hand gestures as part of kapa haka. Some repertoires are described as waiata tawhito (old songs) and waiata hou (new songs), reflecting historical development and changing influences.

Functions of waiata include preserving language and whakapapa, telling stories of ancestors and place, marking rites of passage, and expressing emotion such as love, longing, or grief. They accompany dances, orators, and rituals and may be taught within families and schools to sustain cultural knowledge.

In modern New Zealand, waiata continue to evolve. Contemporary composers write waiata hou that blend te reo Māori with other genres, while traditional repertoires are performed in museums, theatres, and on media. Waiata remain central to kapa haka and to the broader revitalization of te reo Māori.

Translations and explanatory notes are commonly used to share waiata with non-Māori audiences, and communities emphasize respectful use and rights over taonga songs. As living art, waiata connect past and present, sustaining language, identity, and storytelling.