Derek Lardelli, All Blacks haka writer, wins the Matariki Awards

A highly acclaimed artist who wrote the All Blacks haka was named the highest prize winner of the Matariki Awards

Derek Lardelli is one of the country's best tō moko designers, a sculptor, a composer, a tutor and a kapa haka champion.

But among his most publicized works, one finds the All Blacks haka Kapa-o-pango – one of the many haka he's written.

Filmmaker Taika Waititi and actor Cliff Curtis have already received honors for the annual celebration of Maori success, held in Auckland last night.

Although the All Black haka was played before millions, the pride that he felt while listening matched his emotions that he had written for elementary or high school. Lardelli says: "There is a place for [the All Blacks] but they are part of a bigger picture than I see, No.1, it's valuable, but also it's important to us as a people to share the culture we have and we inherited from our ancestors, we share it with others and it is this sense of inclusion that makes it special. "

"He honors the past, he honors the present and he looks to the future, he gives a voice to young and old, and that's what I"

Gisborne-Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, 57 years old, said that rewards such as Matariki were good for everyone.

"I think it's important to celebrate success, not necessarily Maori." The most important part is that we Let's commemorate and think of the past and those that have happened, from where our country is gone, people who seized the opportunity to go where no one was al

"What we celebrate We are the youngest country in the world yet we are able to do great things.

He hoped that others would take their own talents and do great things – even if it meant taking risks.

to accept that you have this skill and you must use it. You must keep this flame burning, and there are many people who want to be part of this flame. So continue to fan this fire. "

Maori art was a good example of people, especially in the past, who used new tools and materials to innovatively develop a culture that was under threat," said Lardelli

. today, not necessarily the party under threat, but the intuition that you can do something to help others. "

The moko movement was a good example of taking up a challenge – the no -acceptance by some of the traditional art form – and changing

"Restoring it to a place of mana took a lot of courage by a group of very strong people who made a commitment to see the form of art. art for what it was.Now, it's one of the biggest indigenous brands in the world and it identifies us as part of Maori, part of Aotearoa and part of it. from New Zealand. "

Lardelli, who is Ngāti Porou and Rongowhakaata said, "Without my beautiful wife and two children, and my whānau and my extended whānau, I probably would not be where I am. That's the key there – good people, who love you whatever happens.

"You can sit in the light of the matariki and say," Yeah, I'm fine, that's where we're going and everything's fine. ""