Traditional Maori Instruments

I have learnt that the Maori have a very different way of creating instruments.

Info on the Pūtātara: The Pūtātara is used for new arrivals to a marae or the birth of a child. It is also used to summon people for formal learning or as a call to arms. Pūtātara are highly prized. The Triton shell is rarely found in Aotearoa, only occasionally washing up on beaches in the Far North. It is regarded as a special gift of Tangaroa, the god of the sea.

Info on the Pūkāea: The Pūkāea is used to welcome people and announce events or occasions of importance, and was also a war trumpet. Pūkāea vary considerably in length, with some known to be over 2 metres long. The mouthpiece end is the kōngutu. The bell-shaped end is called the whara.

Karanga weka: This instrument was used to mimic the call of the weka. Māori have many instruments for imitating bird calls – leaves and grasses, tubular plant stems, hollow stones, and pounamu (greenstone).