Ura pa’u

James and Pherina talk about the Ura Pa’u, or drum dance.

James: The drum dance, which is the ura pa’u, will always be the capture of the whole [event]. That’s where people will say that group is the best, that island is the best. It’s the drumming, and also the uniqueness each dancers, how they sway their hips, and the actions and all their techniques ... will always be the drum dance, which is the ura pa’u.

Pherina: Everyone looks forward to the ura pa’u and I would say that would be the hardest one to perform or to teach in the time practising for Te Maeva Nui but it’s always the popular one.

James: For the drummers itself will probably take a couple of months just putting in sections by sections in the beat. Because there is a fast beat and there is a slow beat. The fast beat must go with the slow beat and then connect the fast with the slow without any gap. I tell you, it’s not easy creating beats because you don’t want to create a beat that’s already been hit in other groups. You have to come up with some sort of any unique beat that hasn’t been heard.