Prince Tui Teka singing E Ipo.
Written by Ngoi Pewhairangi and Prince Tui Teka
Lyrics
Ki a koe te tau
āku mihi e.
Ahakoa haere koe ki hea
maku rā koe e whai atu e.
Ko taku aroha
ka ū tonu.
Tēna ra e hine
huri mai rā ki ahau e tau nei
hei, utanga atu,
e Ipo.
Otirā, e hine,
ku-a tau-nga kē tēnei tinana,
a-ue, ki te aroha
e Ipo. (E. I. Pō)
Tēna ra e hine
huri mai rā ki ahau e tau nei
hei, utanga atu,
e Ipo.
Ki te aroha e Ipo.
Prince Tui Teka was born in Ruatahuna in 1937. He established himself as a cabaret musician with The Maori Troubadours and then The Maori Volcanics. A solo career followed in the early 70s. He moved back to Tokomaru Bay in 1981 and co-wrote his greatest hit ‘E Ipo’ with Ngoi (‘Poi E’) Pewhairangi when he was courting her niece (and his future wife) Missy. It was NZ’s first te reo chart topper. He died in 1985.
