11/05/2026
There are kaupapa that feel bigger than a project. This is one of them.
“Tapatapa ki te Papa” by is exploring the reawakening of the pahū within te ao Māori; not simply as an instrument, but as vibration, memory, healing, rhythm and connection to taiao.
The vibration of the pahu is the heartbeat of wairua. It calls us back to whenua, to collective memory, and to one another.
George Te Aroha Kahi would have loved this kaupapa. Drums, rhythm and jazz were part of his beat and the way he moved through the world. But more than that, he understood vibration. He would often speak about using the tools of the drum to draw out the sounds of the taiao; the wind, the rain, the movement of water, the pulse of the earth itself.
That is what makes this kaupapa so important. It is not about copying other traditions. It is about listening again to our own environment, our own frequencies, and allowing Māori rhythmic language to evolve naturally through future generations.
At the Matariki Cultural Foundation we see this as part of a continuing Indigenous creative vision, reconnecting sound, culture, healing and people through kaupapa Māori led creativity.
Please tautoko this kaupapa if you can. Every koha helps support the research, prototype drum building, and workshops that will pass this knowledge on to others and future generations.
Support here:
Tapatapa ki te Papa – Boosted Campaign
Follow the journey:
Tapatapa ki te Papa Website
https://www.tapatapakitepapa.co.nz/
Ngā mihi nui Kelly for carrying this mahi forward.
🌀🥁🪘
Moetu Smith IA Lana Mikaere-Goldsmith Huia Hamon REI Tanya Muagututi'a Pos Mavaega Waiata Maori Music Awards APRA AMCOS NZ Ethno World
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