Hirini Melbourne

Hirini (Sid) Melbourne (21 July 1949 – 6 January 2003) was a Māori composer, singer, university lecturer, poet and author who was notable for his contribution to the development of Māori music and the revival of Māori culture. He played traditional instruments (ngā taonga pūoro) and his waiata (songs) have preserved traditions and used Māori proverbs.

Career Melbourne became a school teacher after attending Teachers College in Auckland but he did not enjoy teaching and left to become an editor of Māori texts at School Publications in the Department of Education in Wellington.

Melbourne had started composing waiata (songs) early in his career. Together with pounamu-carver Clem Mellish and carver Brian Flintoff, they also collected traditional knowledge about the instruments and how they were played.

Nunns and Melbourne released several recordings: Toiapiapi (1991), Te Kuraroa (1998), Te Ku te Whe (1994), and Te Hekenga-ā-rangi (2003), all widely regarded as influential in the ongoing ngā taonga pūoro revival. Rattle Records released Te Ku Te Whe, which included both original and traditional compositions and Te Hekenga-ā-rangi, where Melbourne and Nunns teamed with Aroha Yates-Smith. Te Hekenga-ā-rangi was recorded just weeks before Melbourne's death.

Melbourne regularly used his compositions to invoke the advice of elders to preserve and advance tikanga Māori. Melbourne's song E Kui e Koro incorporates the whakatauki (Māori proverb) "Mate kāinga tahi, Ora Kāinga rua" (when one home fails, have another to go to). Many Melbourne songs have been performed by other New Zealand musicians including Hinewehi Mohi, Moana Maniapoto, the Topp Twins and Mere Boynton.

Honours and awards In 2002 Melbourne was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Waikato. He was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2003 New Year Honours, for services to Māori language, music and culture, just before his death a week later.

15 years after the original album, Rattle released Te Whaiao: Te Ku Te Whe Remixed, which won the Tui Award for the best Māori album at the New Zealand Music Awards in 2007, featuring what Nunns described as a "pretty stellar line-up" of contemporary New Zealand artists, including Salmonella Dub, Pitch Black and SJD.

In 2009 Melbourne and Nunns were inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame.

Aotearoa Music Awards The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously known as New Zealand Music Awards (NZMA)) are an annual awards night celebrating excellence in New Zealand music and have been presented annually since 1965.

Recordings

Solo Children Of Tane (New Zealand Birds Of The Forest) (Viking, 1979) Friends Of Maui - New Zealand Birds of The Sea (Viking, 1980) Te Aitanga a Tāne: Trees, birds & insects (Replay Radio 1984) Rūātoki children sing songs by Syd Melbourne (Replay Radio, 1985) Forest and Bird (Compilation, Viking, undated) Te Kuraroa (Kia Ata Mai, 1998) Te Wao Nui ā Tane (Huia, 1999)

With Richard Nunns Toiapiapi (Titi Tangiao, 1989; reissued Shearwaters, 2016) Te Kū Te Whē (Rattle Records, 1994) Te Hekenga-ā-rangi (Rattle Records, 2003) Te Whaiao (Te Kū Te Whē Remixed) (Rattle Records, 2006)

Scores Mauri (Awatea Films 1988) Hotere (2001) The Maori Merchant Of Venice (with Clive Cockburn) (Te Whai Rawa, 2002)