A young boy born and raised on the grounds of Rātana Pā has gained fame once again after releasing a haka video on TikTok of a poi he learned in a day.
Ihaka Whanarere-Tauri (Whanganui) is no stranger to the limelight when it comes to mastering the art of poi.
The 15-year-old has mastered the regional poi of Tāmaki Makaurau senior kapa Angitu and released his version on TikTok the following day.
The video has gained so much attraction that many are wondering what his secret is to learning a routine that takes months for senior haka exponents to perfect.
But Whanarere-Tauri says there’s no secret because he has grown up in the kapa haka world.
“When I see a poi like that, I immediately go straight in and learn. I love learning. I love seeing what different rohe put into this work of poi.”
Whanarere-Tauri says he’s portrayed countless poi routines from various kapa on TikTok but is not surprised that an Angitu poi came so naturally to him.
“Angi-who? Angitū! Yes, that is one of my favourite teams. I’m also fortunate to know Tuhoe Tamaiparea, who’s a relative of mine. Perhaps because of that, that’s one of the reasons why the Angitū team became so attractive to me.”
The video has gained 5,223 likes, 68 reposts and 369 adds to favourites on TikTok. Many have commented on its precision and technique and the co-tutor of Angitu, Pere Wihongi, has given her stamp of approval for Whanarere-Tauri’s portrayal.
Whanarere-Tauri says he’s humbled by the responses from people that follow his journey on TikTok, and hopes this gives motivation for others who are yet to do the same.
“I just want to show the world that there are boys who can do poi, and who are really good at it. I want to encourage those boys who do poi, tukuna ki te ao! Go show the world what you can do!”