A MAORI SINGER.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 50, 28 February 1901, Page 4

A MAORI SINGER.

INTERVIEW WITH “CHIEFTAIN

RANGIUIA.’’

The Maori Chieftain Rangiuia, says the Morning - Post, who will appear at the Theatre Royal with the Jubilee Concert Company, has a stock of interesting anecdotes collected during his career as a public performer. The chieftain is descended from the blue-blooded of the Maori tribes. On his father’s side, he belongs to theNgatiporou tribe, the most distinguished on the East Coast of the North Island, while through his mother, he is connected with the Mahakis of the Poverty Bay districts. Of his early Maori home Chieftain Rangiuia remembers nothing personally as he left it when he was very young, to take up his residence in Gisborne, and later in Napier. He and his sisters were placed under the charge of governesses, at before his powers of memory were developed, he entered upon a musical education, commencing with the piano. In this department, he has shown as much ability.as his ‘cousin, Mr Ngata, has displayed in his studies in the New Zealand University, in which he is a graduate both in arts and in Law. It is little short of marvellous that two members of a race which half a century ago were only beginning to be civilised, should now rival the Europeans in the most intricate forms of modern thought and education. Chieftain Rangiuia has made such good use of the natural musical ability of the Maoris, that he has attained distinction, both as a vocalist, as a performer on the pianoforte, and as a composer. In Sydney, he was- principal of the Conservatorium of Music, at Clovelly, Manly,. where his staff included such famous artists as Miss Coutts Duvalli, the talented Australian harpist, and Miss Heloise Austa, a pupil of Sims Reeves. The public of Timaru wall have an op portunity to listen to Chieftain Rangiuia s own performance on the piano of the first piece of njusic composed by himself. This is entitled ‘ Waikaremoana,’ and was composed during a holiday spent by the Chieftarn and his friend, Mr DeLatour, on the shores of Lake Waikaremoana. ‘ I remember the tune quite well,’ said the Chieftain to a representative of the Morning Post. ‘ The notes seemed to be ringing in my ears, and I got apiece of paper and wrote them down.’ On their return from the holiday, the two friends stopped at a wayside hotel for lunch, and the Chieftain noticed a small piano in the bar parlor. While his friend went into the dining-room, he sat down at the piano to try the effect of his composition. ‘ And I assure you,, he said, 1 1 have altered it very little.’ Since then, he has composed a number of other pieces, and has also translated several popular English songs into Maori. Amongst these are the Maori version of ‘ Home, Sweet Home,’ which Mrs Howie sings; I Ye Banks and Braes of Bonnie Loon,’ 1 Juanita,’ ‘ Swanee River,’ and 1 The Last Rose of Summer.’