E Hoki Mai Ra (Ka Pioioi)

E Hoki Mai Ra - Kereopa Ratapu (from Rongomaiwahine on the East Coast, and now with Ngati Kuia at Nelson).

E Hoki Mai Ra is a song to welcome people back home. This is an excited and energetic song that captures the joy of someone returning home after a long time away.

This waiata is also (erroneously) known as 'Ka Pioioi' after one composer added the line 'Ka Pioioi e....' at the beginning. They thought it sounded nice, and it does, but we prefer to sing it in the original way.

Here it is performed:

 

Here is a karaoke version:

 

Here are actions to learn. Remember about her right hand versus our right hands:

​​E​ ​hoki​ ​mai​ ​rā
​​E​ ​hoki​ ​mai​ ​rā
Kia​ ​kite​ ​atu​ ​i​ ​tō​​ ​​iwi​ ​e 

​​​​E ​​rotoroto​​ ana

​​​​E ​​rotoroto​​ ana
E​ ​katakata​ ​ana​ ​​mai​ ​rā 

​​​​Pukana​​ whetero

​​​​Pukana​​ whetero 

Mai​ ​i​ ​te​ ​ihi​ ​ā​ ​ō​ ​​mātua 

​​Kia​ ​kite​ ​atu​ ​ano
​​Kia​ ​kite​ ​atu​ ​ano 

I​​ tō ​​ataahua​​ ai​​​ ​​​kanapa rā 

​​​​Pupuhi​​ ai

Pupuhi​​ ai​​ e​​ te​​ hau 

Kapohia​​ āku​​​ ​​​roimata 

Ka​ ​pioioi
​​​​Ka​​ pioioi ​​e
Tohu​ ​aroha​ ​hau​​ ​​​kāinga 

You've​ ​come​ ​back​ ​home, to​ ​see​ ​your​ ​people.
There​ ​is​ ​gesturing​ ​and laughing​ ​with​ ​joy​ ​at​ ​your​ ​return,
Eyes​ ​popping​ ​and​ ​tongues thrusting
from​ ​the​ ​energy​ ​of​ ​those performing.
I​ ​see​ ​again
your​ ​beauty​ ​gleaming​ ​there caressed​ ​by​ ​the​ ​wind,
and​ ​my​ ​tears​ ​are​ ​snatched​ ​away.
This​ ​fluttering​ ​dance
shows​ ​your​ ​home-town​ ​people's love 

You can learn lots more about E Hoki Mai Ra (Ka Pioioi) here, including history, and the translation:

http://folksong.org.nz/ka_pioioi/index.html 

Here is a googledoc with lyrics and chords. 

Here is a googledoc with lyrics only.

Ka kite

Damian Hardman

damian.hardman@birchwood.school.nz