The
History of
Haumanu
Haumanu had its beginnings at an informal weekend near the top of Pikikiruna on Takaka Hill, near Nelson. When Hirini and Brian Flintoff travelled there initially to dedicate a Pūtōrino carved from a 35,000-year-old tōtara tree it was early in the day and mist wafted from the mysterious holes scattered throughout the vast expanses of warming marble. He began playing softly, slowly building momentum, and as he played the sound filled the still air above them.
Soon the echoes were circling over us and in that magic moment it was as if they were inside a crystal glass singing to the finger’s touch. They called that great marble rock nestled in bush Ōhaka Tapu, the Sacred Nest. Several members of the group have returned at other times to film and record at this special place and at the same time we have revived our energies in its special aura.
The name Haumanu can be literally translated as ‘breath of birds’ and was chosen because of the importance of bird songs in the traditions of the music. The word also means revival and this is the aim of the group. The Haumanu logo depicts our greatest songbird, the Kōkako, being attracted by the sound of a flute.
