Te Maeva Nui NZ 2021 - Tongareva Henua: Pese

Tongareva Henua perform their Pese at the 2021 Te Maeva Nui NZ festival.

Tongareva's pese was composed around the arrival of the christian church.  

In the olden days Tongareva worshipped a god called Kui and they trusted and believed that everything revolved around Kui.  

When the gospel arrived their eyes were opened.  They left Kui by the wayside and grabbed on to the teachings of Jesus.

Lyrics by Manata Akatapuria, 

Tune by Matekura Uamaki & Merle Pukerua 

Pese Choreography by Matekura Uamaki 

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Te Maeva Nui o Aotearoa New Zealand's second bi-annual festival celebrating the Cook Islands people, community and their uniqueness by showcasing their Arts, Culture and Heritage.

The mission statement for this year’s theme is - Resilience Te Mana o te Ngakau Toa e te Ruru’anga Okotai, Kia Autu. “Through the Power of Resilience and Unity, we stand”