Composer
Tīmoti Kāretu

1937 -
Tīmoti was born in 1937 and is a descendant of the Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Kahungunu tribes. He is a scholar who is nationally and internationally recognised for his knowledge of the Māori language. Tīmoti is also a prolific composer and Māori performing arts expert.
Songs by this composer
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Whakaipuipu
Whakaipuipu mai rā te moana kei waho e
more
E āki kau ana ki Te Toka-namu-a-Mihi-marino
Ki uta rā, ki Pākirikiri e
Ko te rite o te wai kei aku... -
E nanawe ake ana i ahau
E nanawe ake ana i ahau
more
Te aroha, te mamae, te pōuri
Ki te ngako, ki te matū
O te ao Māori
5 E ngaro nei, e ngaro nei
Ki... -
E noho ana
E noho ana i te ranga māheuheu
more
Ka titiro whakarunga ki ngā whetū o te rangi
Āritarita noa , āritarita noa
Engari tē riro mai ki te kapu...
He aha rā kei te tau o taku ate?
Lyrics
Kaitātaki: He aha rā kei te tau o taku ate e haehae ake nei?
Katoa: Ko te mamae ki te ngaro o taku reo!
Warea kē ana ngā whakahaere Māori o te motu
Me te iwi whānui hoki
5 Ki te reo o tauiwi!
Me pēhea kē hoki e ora ai ki te whērā?
E kore e ora i ngā kōhanga reo,
Te Ātārangi, ngā kura reo rua, ngā whare wānanga
Eaoia mā te kōrero tonu! Mā te kōrero tonu!
10 E tātou, e te ao Māori, e tau nei
Kāti rā te toupiore, te māikoiko
Kei riro kē mā te Pākehā tō tātou reo e pupuri.
Takatū ake! Takatū ake!
Takatū ake kia whai kiko ai te kōrero,
15 'Tōku reo, tōku ohooho,
Tōku reo, tōku māpihi maurea,
Tōku reo, tōku whakakai marihi'
Aue! Aue! Aue! Te mamae ki taku taonga e!
Hei!
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Kaitātaki: What is this tearing me apart?
Katoa: It is the pain at the loss of my language.
Māori organisations throughout the country
And the Māori people themselves
5 Prefer the language of the Pākehā.
How can the Māori language survive if that situation persists?
It will not survive because of kōhanga reo,
Te Ātārangi, bilingual schools or universities
But by being spoken all the time.
10 We, the Māori, here assembled
Be dilatory and indigent no longer
Lest it be left to the Pākehā to keep our language alive.
Get your act together!
Get your act together so that these words are meaningful,
15 'My language, my cherished possession
My language, my object of affection
My language, my precious adornment'
Aue! Aue! Aue! What pain I feel at the loss of something so valuable.
Explanation
The serious question being asked is how can the Māori language survive? The answer is by everyone continuing to speak it - there is no other way! This was used as the exit at the national competitions held in Whangārei in October 1988.