Waitangi Celebrations

I was disappointed that my plans to drive across to Onuku Marae at Akaroa on Banks Peninsular were thrown awry today. Instead, in between my hideous workload, I managed to get down to Christchurch Art Gallery to take in the celebrations there. I missed the powhiri (welcome) and I only got the tale end of the band, Hikoikoi but I saw a good part of the performance by the second act, The Mamaku Project. Their lead singer, Tui Mamaki, is shown below.

The sun had come out by then and it was baking hot but I was surprised by the small crowd. Last year's Waitangi Day celebrations here (which you can see if you click on Waitangi Day in the label line below this post), were patronised by a much larger crowd. Still, the two guys selling hangi meals in wrapped newspaper parcels were doing a roaring trade; and the cool jazz of the Mamaku Project went down a treat with all who stuck around. You can read more about the group, the band members, their national and international performances and their recordings by clicking on www.mamakuproject.com