They laughed, they cried … and they couldn’t get that catchy tune out of their heads for days! With the documentary Poi E: The Story of Our Song hitting New Zealand cinemas today, we spoke to some Kiwi celebs who’d seen the film about the warm, funny and touching tribute to Patea Maori Club’s 1984 hit song.
Temuera Morrison
“A nostalgic trip back to that time. I really enjoyed it!”
Teuila Blakely
“I first heard and saw ‘Poi E’ the same as almost everyone else at that time – on RTR Countdown. It was the highlight of our week, dancing around the lounge whenever it came on. It brought about a sense of joy for a lot of Kiwis. It’s a gift to us all. The most surprising thing I learned from the movie was just how much it took for [‘Poi E’ co-writer] Dalvanius Prime to make it happen.”
Watch the trailer for the Kiwi film in the video below. Story continues.
Colin Mathura-Jeffree
“At the end of the movie, the lyrics brought tears to my eyes. It’s all about self- respect and strength to shine while holding your place against those that shake your hand while trying to drag you out of the sun. I remember in the ‘90s being part of an ethnically diverse line-up of models for a fashion show. In the finale, we walked to ‘Poi E’ before the Maori Queen in all our diversity – feathers, tapa, ropes, coconut bras, silks, spears, war paint … The crowd went insane!”
Mel Homer
“When they started singing ‘Poi E’ at the end of the movie, I got tingles down the back of my spine. It’s an infinitely happy song – you cannot feel down when you listen to it. I remember once working in a bar on the Greek island of Santorini. Usually the soundtrack was a mixture of Greek pop and Euro trash muzak, but out of the blue one night, ‘Poi E’ started up. I don’t know where they got it from, but the dance floor went off. I loved every minute of it and felt very proud.”
