If there’s one thing we’ll always get behind here at Mai FM, it’s a powerful haka – and this one hits close to home.
Earlier this month, our whole crew took the stage at the 2025 New Zealand Radio & Podcast Awards to perform the 'Mai haka' – a performance with deep roots in our station’s history, and one that’s made a meaningful comeback over the past two years.
In a "full circle" moment, we joined Kai Haka, led by Eru Wilton-Rarere, to close their opening pōwhiri in front of hundreds of our radio whānau.
Tegan Yorwarth, one of our Mai Morning Crew hosts, reckons it’s been one of the coolest journeys to be a part of.
“The history of our station sets us apart,” she said. “It was iwi-owned and run, targeted to Māori by Māori.”
“Even though Mai now caters to a much wider audience, our culture is something we’ve needed to pivot back into. We finally feel connected – as a team, and to the journey that got us here.”
It’s something that’s uniquely ours.
Fame Teu had his own special connection: “This year marked 10 years at Mai for me. So to perform the 'Mai haka', not just as part of Mai FM but alongside the guy who actually wrote it back in the day – that was a real special moment. One I’ll hold dear to my heart.”
“It was an honour to represent not only Mai FM but also te ao Māori,” added Mai Days' Storme Lomu.
Phil Bell, aka DJ Sir-Vere, who helped revive the haka created in the 90s, said the journey kicked off after a kōrero with Nadia Marsh at Te Māngai Pāho, and former Mai breakfast host Robert Rakete, who connected him with the haka’s original writer, Kingi Biddle.
“From there, it accelerated quickly,” Phil said. “I was already building a relationship with Eru from Kaihaka – an organisation that’s famous for holding pōwhiri for most of the international artists who come to Aotearoa.”
“In a surprise revelation, Eru told me he’d helped Kingi put the finishing touches on the 'Mai haka' – so he was the perfect person to teach us.”
The team kicked off learning the actions, kupu and kaupapa at The Auckland Performing Arts Centre back in November 2023.
“By March 2024, it was clear the crew understood its importance,” Phil said.
Before this year’s awards, the haka had only been performed publicly once – at the 2024 Radio & Podcast Awards in honour of K’Lee McNabb leaving the station after 13 incredible years.
“It was a full circle moment – the original haka that had been somewhat lost was rediscovered through Kingi, passed through Eru, and then embraced by the 2025 Mai whānau – all honouring Ngāti Whātua and the original vision for the Mai FM network,” said Phil.
The 'Mai haka' is officially back – and here to stay!
