Waitangi Day: Kapa haka group ready for big day | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

When Adam McRae and his 33-strong kapa haka group Nga Manu Ata Korihi take the stage on Waitangi Day, he's banking on the entire Napier community to be there showing their support.

Mr McRae and Sid Ropitini, both from Napier, are the tutors of the group which is one of five performing at the Ngati Kahungunu regional kapa haka competition next Monday. And it is fitting the group will be the first to perform at the event, at the Hawke's Bay Regional Sports Park in Hastings.

"Our name means 'the morning chorus of birds' and we will be the first to perform in the morning," Mr McRae said. "Our group was formed about seven months ago and it is originally a combination of two, Nga Waka and Whakaoho-oho, and so everybody has taken a regional stage at some time in their life."

Nga Manu Ata Korihi held its rehearsals at Pukemokimoki Marae, near Maraenui, every weekend in preparation for the regional competition. "The marae has really opened their arms to us, in fact everyone in the Maraenui community has - the support has been awesome."

The group's bracket of waiata and haka would be "high impact from start to finish" and show the hard work of each performer.

"Our idea in forming the group was to uplift Maraenui, bring back the Maori tikanga, the values of our culture and manaakitanga between everyone," Mr McRae said.

"We've actually got 44 members in our group but there are 33 in the group that is performing. We don't want this to be a one-hit wonder, we want to continue the joy of what we've learnt and what we have been taught well after the regionals. People in the group don't want it to stop here."