stORY

I love great stories and great storytelling. I love the way stories can take us on a journey, take us into another world of people, of adventure, of victories and defeats. After I completed music studies and began to study mātauranga Māori in earnest, I discovered my love of story. I researched and studied the traditional stories of our people and published books which included many of these stories. Hence, today my composing includes both music and storytelling aspects.

The romance of paeora and hinemāia

‘The Romance of Paeora and Hinemāia’ is an original story that tells of a young man who falls in love with his childhood sweetheart. When she is unexpectedly taken from him he is heartbroken and flees to the ocean in pain and sorrow. The story tells of how through trials and tribulations upon the sea, Paeora finally understands that he loves Hinemāia deeply and must find a way to overcome his fears and win her back. At its heart, ‘The Romance of Paeora and Hinemāia’ is a human story known in every community and culture in the world.

The story is set in a fictional and mythical Polynesia of history and draws heavily upon mātauranga Māori or traditional Māori knowledge - the setting is an unnamed island upon the great ocean of Kiwa, Paeora’s natural orientation to the ocean is first discovered during his baptism, Paeora is taught how to interpret the stars and the winds, how islands float, and so much more. Each scene of the story contains some kind of distinctive Māori/Polynesian element or idea about life and love.

You can read this story here.