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Music of New Zealand

The music of New Zealand provides variety in style and ethnicity.

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Traditional Music

Maori music consists of waiata[?], (literally songs), as well as haka[?], ("war" dances). As the Maori have an oral history, it was only when Sir Apirana Ngata[?] wrote down and recorded waiata and traditional poetry early in the twentieth century that any of this music was preserved or became widely known. The overall traditional musical performance is now known as kapahaka[?], which often involves actions performed with sticks that are thumped or the poi - a small ball on the end of a string - that are twirled in the hands and slapped to provide rythmic accompaniment. While the guitar has become an almost universal instrument to accompany kapahaka performances today, traditional instruments, which are primarily woodwind, can give hauntingly eerie sounds. Some modern artists have revived the use of these traditional instruments and are writing and performing original insrumental maori music that has a unique sound.

Modern or Popular New Zealand Music

As New Zealand is the largest nation in polynesia, its music has been influenced by the indigenous Maori and immigrants from the Pacific. While the majority musical culture originates from New Zealand's British colonial history, with a high component of music from major European and American sources, local artists have mixed these styles with local influences to create music that is uniquely New Zealand in style.

See for instance:

External Links:

A list of New Zealand Music Artists

 

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