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Various Artists: Ake Ake, Kia Kaha e! Songs of the Maori Battalion |
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Deluxe double cd and 39 page booklet with historic photos etc housed in slipcase.
It could have been called 'the singing Battalion'! When the soldiers of the Maori Battalion sailed for the Second World War, they took with them songs that embodied the love and prayers of those at home. There were hymns, haka, and popular action songs, together with the rousing 'Mâori Battalion march to victory'! These were sung with a style that became part of the Battalion's legend.
The double CD features spoken messages, situation reports, concert medleys aimed at tribal areas from which the men were drawn, and a song of remembrance by Pacific Islands members. Also included are rare recordings by the Battalion's 1st Reinforcements during a farewell concert in New Zealand, including a message previously not known to have existed from Princess Te Puea Herangi, whose leadership inspired the Mâori people.
These unique recordings were taken 'live' on location in the sands of Egypt, during gunfire in North Africa, and between green hills in Southern Italy by the Middle East Recording Unit of New Zealand's National Broadcasting Service. Often with little or no rehearsal and sometimes under appalling conditions, the recordings captured the raw exuberance and vigour of the performances.
'Ake, ake, kia kaha e!' is the latest issue in the series He Puiaki Pűoru Treasures in Sound, a joint venture by the Alexander Turnbull Library and Atoll Ltd to reissue music of historical significance. The project was generously supported by the New Zealand Army Ngâti Tűmâtauenga and the Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum Waiouru.
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