Bowie’s Waiata
In 1983, musician David Bowie was the first Rock Star to be officially welcomed onto a Maori Marae.
25 years later, this slideshow looked back on the event that Bowie himself called “one of the most hospitable experiences of my life”.
This is an abridged version of the “Bowie’s Waiata” radio documentary, with images, broadcast on Radio New Zealand in Nov, 2008.
Thanks to the Ngati Toa tribe of Porirua, NZ, for their generous assistance… and for lunch.
Awards:
Finalist, New York Radio Festival 2009, Category: “Culture and The Arts”
Finalist, New York Radio Festival 2009, Category: “Community Portraits”
Title: “Bowie’s Waiata”
Commissioned by: Radio New Zealand
First broadcast: Sept. 2008
Equipment:
Marantz PMD660 Digital Recorder
Beyer Dynamic M58 Microphone
Adobe Audition 3.0 Digital Editor
Sony Cybershot DSC-T5 Digital Camera
Additional Info:
The full length “Bowie’s Waiata” documentary was independently turned into a series of audio slideshows by Youtube user “Bodacea1” – who did a great job.
You can see/hear the results below…
“Marae Visit, 1983″
From an article by Lucy Rakete (Times Correspondent):
MAORITANGA and Bowie-mania got to know each other better at an historic meeting on the Ngati Toa marae at Porirua this week.
David Bowie, currently at the end of a world tour, requested the visit to the marae because he wanted to get to see a carved meeting house and meet Maori people.
Ngati Toa elder Horata Solomon said Bowie’s request was a complete surprise. “We didn’t seek him out, he just came to us – but we knew this must be significant for our people”.
Another elder, Puahou Katene, was called on to brief Bowie in his hotel room before the welcome. “I didn’t like his music because I couldn’t understand it. But now I’ve changed my mind.”
“David was very sincere, and had a great impact on the kids.”
Puahou admits that some of the elders who considered the request hadn’t heard of Bowie or his music. “I don’t think the committee realised how big this man was. They thought he was just a pop star. But after seeing what it’s done for our kids, we now know what he means to our kids.”
Puahou said Bowie had already done some swotting up on Maori culture, and was aware of the sacredness of the occasion. “He asked about what we do, what to wear and especially when he’d get a chance to sing his song.”
“I told him we’d cover him in the formal aspects, and his chance to sing would come once inside the house, Toa Rangatira.”
“David wanted to know about the significance of the carvings in the meeting house, so I gave him an explanatory booklet about them in the briefing.”
The welcoming ceremony went almost without a hitch, except for the comission of the traditional hongi because the kids swarmed onto the marae after the speeches.
But the enthusiasm of the young and not so young fans really made the night.
Local school children had been told about the visitor earlier in the week, but had been sworn to secrecy, because the elders were worried it might get out of hand.
However, a very efficient “bush telegraph” saw a full turnout on the night.
Harata Solomon said the young people were the real hosts. “The boys performed the haka, one of them did the challenge, my daughter replied to the karanga.”
Bowie said he was very honoured to be in the meeting house, and it stood out to be one of the most hospitable experiences of his life.
Greg Ward’s Story
After the broadcast of the “Bowie’s Waiata” documentary – I received an email from RNZ, forwarding on some correspondence they’d had from a man named Greg Ward… who’d heard the doc on RNZ. He turned out to be the journalist who’d recorded Bowie singing on the Marae in the first place!
Greg kindly agreed to share the story behind capturing the audio, which you can read below…
“Listening to the “Bowie’s Waiata” documentary, I was so pleased to hear Frank Simms’ surprise and delight at hearing the recording after 25 years. I know how he felt! It’s been a quarter century since I last heard it as well.”
“On the day of the Marae visit I was a young reporter working for Radio New Zealand News. I was probably covering the event in my own time. Being a huge Bowie fan, I had taken at least several days leave to focus entirely on a getting an interview during his visit.”
“By coincidence, Bowie was staying at the ParkRoyal in Oriental Bay, directly below my home.
He was just 200 metres away…
And I was determined to get inside and secure a few words on tape.
But despite repeated requests to management, I was unable to meet him…
The closest I got to Bowie was an invitation to meet with his tour manager who was in the next room.
I can’t recall the chap’s name, but he was kind enough to invite me to the hotel to hear me put my case for an interview.
He listened patiently as I explained how little time I needed and how Radio New Zealand could deliver a huge nationwide audience.
The manager eventually left the room promising to deliver Bowie my written proposal. He returned a few minutes later…
But the news was not good.
Bowie was apparently sympathetic to the request. But he felt that one interview would lead to a flood of requests. So I was out of luck. I didn’t leave empty handed. Bowie’s manager told me he was also managing Scottish newcomers Big Country. I was already a fan of this band and I was delighted when he handed me a cassette tape of their latest album as a gift.
Determined he should return to the UK with some of our home-grown talent, I raced home and collected a newly purchased album by Wellington’s Body Electric. Just what he made of New Zealand’s version of Depeche Mode, I’ll never know. But I’m sure he enjoyed it!”
“I think I’m right in saying the marae visit came the day after my failed bid to interview Bowie in his hotel. I can recall a growing sense of frustration when the media (and hundreds of others) were kept outside the marae grounds. I couldn’t imagine how I was going to fill a three minute package for National Radio’s Morning Report. The TV crews could at least shoot Bowie’s entourage arriving and departing. Print media could publish fans’ photos. But radio needed audio. And there wasn’t a lot. At least, that’s what I thought…
You can imagine my delight when an external PA system suddenly fired up and the waiting crowd began to follow proceedings inside the marae, via loudspeaker. I’m sure Bowie and his management were completely unaware we could hear everything outside. And when it was announced that Bowie was going to sing, I made sure my $50 microphone was pointing in the right direction – up close and right beside a loudspeaker on a perimeter fence. This must have been David Bowie’s most unsophisticated recording ever. Talk about unplugged!”
“To be honest I was a rather embarrassed by what I heard, standing there 25 years ago.
The lyrics sounded awkward and trite…
(That’s a bit harsh! They sum things up rather succinctly – and the melody has a “sea shanty” feel, appropriate for Bowie’s English heritage and the seafaring nature of Britain’s first contact with NZ – but perhaps I’m reading too much into it… Sorry… back to you Greg… Sam)
It was certainly no Let’s Dance – more Laughing Gnome…
Driving back to Radio New Zealand, I wondered whether I should do Bowie a favour and say nothing to the newsroom about the recording.
But Bowie hadn’t done the media any favours…
There had been a media blackout since he arrived in the country.
While it may have sounded impromptu and awkward, the recording remained something of a scoop – especially if Radio New Zealand could beat other media in reporting the event. So on my arrival back at work; I played it first to the evening host at 2ZM (Radio New Zealand’s edgy Wellington pop station.) He agreed the song was rather corny and like nothing else we had heard from the Thin White Duke. So he put it to air immediately. That first broadcast would have been heard throughout the greater Wellington region.”
“Soon after, I received a call in the newsroom from a very angry Hugh Lynn, the New Zealand promoter who featured in your doco. Interestingly – in the radio programme – Lynn has only a vague recollection of Bowie singing a song. But I have a very strong memory of how he reacted when he heard it broadcast on 2ZM. He was furious. Lynn – who is of Maori descent – told me I had offended his people (meaning local Maori) as well as Bowie management. He ordered me to come down to the hotel to discuss my behaviour and to explain myself. This did not sound a good idea! I declined. Lynn went on to say that Bowie and his management had heard the recording while driving back to Wellington. I’m not sure exactly who had their car tuned to 2ZM, but someone obviously heard it because Hugh Lynn wasted no time in making contact.”
“Lynn was particularly incensed to learn I was planning to broadcast the item the following morning in audio grabs on 2ZB, and in a voiced package I was already writing for Morning Report.
He told me Bowie’s “New York lawyers” were already planning action against me, and any further broadcast would only make matters worse. For a 23 year old reporter, this was rather intimidating. Thankfully, the senior editors on Morning Report scoffed at the threats. The broadcast went ahead the following day as planned.
Nothing was ever heard from the New York lawyers, and to this day I’ve never received a Christmas card from Hugh Lynn.”
“So much grief and angst over a 20 second recording…
And now so much interest and delight over its discovery…”