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UNDER AN EAST COAST MOON Dolina Wehipeihana talks to Tama Waipara about Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival.
Under an east coast moon Humming a familiar tune Under my east coast moon with a Coastie attitude The east coast is known for the coastie attitude of locals, surf-breaks and being the first place to greet the sunrise. During Lockdown Jacinda Ardern even showed people how to do the East Coast Wave. But like any place, Te Tairāwhiti is so much more than stereotypes. In many ways it’s no surprise that Tama Waipara – esteemed musician, composer, singer-songwriter, festival programmer and industry advocate – ended up moving back home in 2018 to lead the development of a brand new regional arts festival. In Tama’s waiata ‘East Coast Moon’ the potency of “home” shines through: All the lights' reflections are a ripple of the love we share And all my life's intentions seem to lead me back there But in the world of regional arts festivals, how do you create a festival that is truly unique to its place and community?
The journey starts and ends with whakapapa. Tama hails from the east coast iwi of Ruapani, Ngāti Porou, and Rongowhakaata. His parents met at teachers college and Tama was born in Rangiora, the youngest of three boys. His early years were spent in Kaiapoi and Christchurch. “We would go back to Manutuke every Christmas,” Tama remembers. “Time would stop. All the whanau would be there - just tents and caravans on my Nanny’s front lawn, and cousins. It just seemed like this huge whanau, long summers. And then you’d have to go back... It was a constant threading of the two worlds.” Gisborne in itself, is a city of two worlds. It has the highest proportion of Māori of all regions, with 52% identifying as Māori in the 2018 census compared to 15% nationally. Pretty much the people of Gisborne are divided down the middle – 50% Pākehā, 50% Māori. Add to that the challenge of the first festival sitting alongside the Tuia 250 commemorations and you get a picture of the potent and dynamic landscape that was the bedrock for the inaugural Te Tairāwhiti Festival October 2019. During the Tuia 250 commemorations, whilst local iwi welcomed the waka hourua signifying
