Ngoi Pēwhairangi

aka Te Kumeroa Ngoingoi Ngāwai


Ngoi Pēwhairangi was a cultural bridge builder, keeping alive old-school traditional performing arts and cultural knowledge that ultimately brought the Māori language into the pop and hip hop charts of the 1980s.

While her legacy is best known through collaborations with high-profile Māori artists Prince Tui Teka and Dalvanius Prime, Ngoi composed many widely respected waiata (songs) including ‘Kia Kaha Ngā Iwi’, ‘Ka Noho Au’, and ‘Whakarongo’.

The Pātea Māori Club's Poi-E was a smash in 1984, topping the chart with almost no airplay. Produced by Dalvanius with Dave Hurley (who also engineered it), it was the biggest selling single of the year.
Waka Huia Archive, 5 October 1997: Māori composers Tuini Ngāwai and Ngoi Pēwhairangi
Prince Tui Teka - E Ipo (1982)
Ngoi Pēwhairangi (right) with a member of the Pātea Māori Club holding a gold disc for 'Poi E'. 
Poi E (Maui, 1984)
Dalvanius (documentary, 2002) - NZ On Screen
Patea Maori Club - Poi E (1984)
At the Māori Competitions for the Gisborne and East Cape region in 1966, a new award was instituted, called the Tuini Ngāwai Memorial Trophy - named after the acclaimed songwriter. With the new award in 1966 are, from left, Mrs P. Kaua, songwriter (and Ngāwai’s niece) Mrs Ngoi Pēwhairangi, Mr Pax Jones, Mrs M Jones and Kathleen Sadlier. Holding the cup is Sonny Jones.
Photo credit: Gisborne Photo News, October 1966
Ngoi Pēwhairangi at left, photographed at the opening of the Gisborne Chief Post Office, 20 June, 1975.
Photo credit: Gisborne Photo News
In 2008 Huia published 'Ngoingoi Pēwhairangi: A Remarkable Life', a biography of Ngoi Pēwhairangi (www.huia.co.nz). The author Tania Ka’ai (Ngāti Porou, Ngāi Tahu) is a professor in Māori innovation and development at Auckland University of Technology
Photo credit: Huia Publishers
Tui Teka and wife Missy sing Tui’s hit 'E Ipo' after presenting Ngoi Pēwhairangi with the gold disc for writing the te reo lyrics, 1982
Photo credit: TVNZ
The famed Māori linguist and teacher Ngoi Pēwhairangi. Ngoi wrote the lyrics to two No.1 singles, The Patea Māori Club's Poi E and and Prince Tui Teka's E Ipo. She died in 1985.
Prince Tui Teka - E Ipo (1983)
Ngoi Pēwhairangi, from the Pātea Māori Club album 'Poi E'.
Ngoi Pēwhairangi with copies of 'Poi E'.
Photo credit: Gisborne Herald
Tuini Ngāwai and Ngoi Pēwhairangi inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame (2022)
‘Poi E’ wins the award for the best Polynesian recording, 1984. Dalvanius with lead singer Hui Kahu.
Poi E: The Story of our Song (trailer, 2016)
Dalvanius with Ngoi Pēwhairangi. 
Photo credit: Gil Hanley
Patea Maori Club's tribute to Ngoi Pewhairangi - Ngoi Ngoi (1992)
Ngoi Pēwhairangi was inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame | Te Whare Taonga Puoro o Aotearoa in 2022. The Hall of Fame is an initiative of Recorded Music NZ and the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), whose support of AudioCulture enables the site to stream music content.
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