He tokorua kua tae ake rā ki Te Matatini ki Te Kāhui Maunga i tēnei, te rangi tuatoru o ngā whakataetae nui o te ao haka.
Nō Horowinia te tokorua a Simona Pechnik-Karzic rāua ko Istok Karzic, ka mutu, he āhuatanga tō te ao haka e whakahihiko ana i ō rāua wairua.
Hai tā Simona, ehara tēnei i tō rāua kitenga tuatahi ake i te kapa haka, engari rā, ko te ao haka tētahi mea e whakatōtō ake i a rāua kia hoki mai ki Aotearoa.
“We saw it on tv two years ago because we were travelling the south island when it was happening. I saw it and I fell in love with the music, with what I saw, I said ‘next time it’s on we have to go.‘”
‘He mea whakahihiko i a au’
This is a return to the country for the Slovenian couple who have spent the week travelling the country before landing in Ngāmotu for the competition touted as ‘the olympics of kapa haka.’
The pair say the feeling kapa haka gives them both is a big reason for their return to the country, as well as a sense of liveliness.
Istok says he is overwhelmed with energy when he sees and hears haka.
“Especially the feeling of haka that’s something that makes me feel alive.”
Inā rā te tokomaha o ngā tāngata i tae atu
I roto i ngā rangi whakataetae e rua kua hipa nei, e hia manomano tāngata ērā i tae atu ki te mātaki i ngā toki o te ao haka.
Ko te tokorua Horowinia anō hoki ērā i kīa katoa ana e te whakaohooho me te whakamīharo ki ngā mahi ki runga i te atamira.
Hai tā Istok anō, i tō rāua taenga tuatahi mai ki Aotearoa i whakatō ake rā te kōingo kia hoki mai anō ki te mātakitaki i ngā mahi kapa haka, ā tinana nei.
“We were here two years ago and didn’t manage to come to Matatini then. So, when we heard now that it’s happening again, we just bought tickets and came.”
