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Sunday, December 19, 2010

Photohunt: Male


http://tnchick.com/

Next year, New Zealand will host the Rugby World Cup. Those of you who watch Rugby would have seen our very MALE All Black players perform the Haka before every game.

Haka is almost performed before important visitors and fare welling love ones at their funeral.

Haka are best described as challenges. They are used to make a point and to vent anger. They are performed by both men and women, with the focus on the men in the front and support from the women behind. They are vocal performances involving rhythmic declamation in triple metre and aggressive or challenging facial expressions (pūkana, literally "glaring"), body movements and demeanour. The men make heavy use of foot stamping, body percussion, and grimace in an attempt to appear as menacing as possible. Haka are often described as traditional war dances but in fact had many other uses as well in precolonial Māori society, and have many peaceful uses today.

5 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

Interesting...did you take this picture, then?

Windsmoke. said...

I believe woman are not allowed to perform the Haka i find this sexist. The Spice Girls performed the Haka in concert then got thrown out of the country. So much for girl power.

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

I think there are different kinds of Haka. The ones of challenges. females are not allowed. I have seem the rugby ones, welcoming VIP ones, only males do it.

But there are others, where there are females.In this video, women are in his Haka.

http://ann-mythoughtsandphotos.blogspot.com/2010/10/abc-wednesdaythursday-theme-song-new.html

YTSL said...

I love watching the All Blacks perform the haka. :)

The probligo said...

Ann, thank you for your accuracy in describing haka. You would one of the few (non-Maori) who has taken the time to understand what and why.

Haka does go a bit further in the form of "kapa haka" - the general category of "formal dance".

The "haka" in fact comprises two basic groups - peruperu, the "war dance" and taparahi the more "social haka". The All Blacks "Kapa O Pango" was first performed as a peruperu but was demoted to a taparahi by taking out the final "throat-slitting" gesture.

I have seen one peruperu performed in anger - to welcome government representatives to a meeting at Ruatahuna. Some forty men - mill and bush workers - raising the dust from the ground. It was an amazing and for a nine year old boy somewhat frightening experience. It lasted for about 15 minutes - and the tired old "Kamate" did not feature once...

Thanks again...