Libby Gray and Jo’el Komene on taonga puoro

Jo’el, with whakapapa to Nga Puhi, Tainui and Tapuika, enjoys contributing to the revival of these ancient instruments. Jo’el, who is also a carver and a musician, experiments with the sound of the instruments as he crafts them. He describes them as having a “voice” rather than a sound. 

Jo’el says few people have an understanding of the instruments, including many Maori. His own interest in taonga puoro began about 15 years ago when he took a paper on the ‘Maori world of sound’ while studying at the University of Waikato. “I got to make a few instruments as part of the paper and my interest grew from there. I started making them and the lecturer invited me to some workshops.” He has since gone on to complete a Master’s degree on taonga puoro.

The instruments are all made from natural materials, including stone, clay, bone, shell and wood. Some of the more familiar ones used today include the kōauau (flute), pūtatara (signalling trumpet) and purerehua (spinning discs). “Some people give me the materials because they think they will be useful to me and some of the more rare materials, such as whale bone and albatross bone, are given to me by the Department of Conservation when they become available,” says Jo’el. All of his instruments have their own individual look and sound. “Although they might be classified as the same instrument, the dimensions and playing techniques are often slightly.