Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
‘Pikeri’ is the middle section of a larger work, ‘Pao’ for soprano, clarinet and piano, but is performed here as a standalone work by mezzo-soprano Tessa Romano. Pao are two-lined songs in Māori, which comment on a wide range of subjects such as love, war, politics or religion. They are often topical, and often improvised. Many of the songs in ‘Pao’ are collected in 1864 from Māori prisoners captured during the land wars in the Waikato. ‘Pikeri’ details the escapades of the titular character who was famous for his escapes from the police; in this instance enforced separation during a love affair is depicted.
Traditional Māori Pao, translated by Margaret Orbell. Audio recorded by Emre Ekici. Film funded by NZ On Air.
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Further information about the composer biographies associated with these films can be discovered at sounz.org.nz
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‘Pikeri’ is the middle section of a larger work, ‘Pao’ for soprano, clarinet and piano, but is performed here as a standalone work by mezzo-soprano Tessa Romano. Pao are two-lined songs in Māori, which comment on a wide range of subjects such as love, war, politics or religion. They are often topical, and often improvised. Many of the songs in ‘Pao’ are collected in 1864 from Māori prisoners captured during the land wars in the Waikato. ‘Pikeri’ details the escapades of the titular character who was famous for his escapes from the police; in this instance enforced separation during a love affair is depicted.
Traditional Māori Pao, translated by Margaret Orbell. Audio recorded by Emre Ekici. Film funded by NZ On Air.
--
Further information about the composer biographies associated with these films can be discovered at sounz.org.nz
Facebook: @SOUNZnz
Instagram: @sounz_nz
TikTok: @sounz_nz
#nzmusic
