Hirini Melbourne

Hirini (Sid) Melbourne (21 July 1949 – 6 January 2003) was a Māori composer, singer, university lecturer, poet and author. He was from Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Kahungunu Maori tribes. He is known in New Zealand for his work surrounding the revival of Māori culture. A member of Ngā Tamatoa, which petitioned the New Zealand Government to have Maori taught in schools as part of its focus on Maori identity, he also studied at Auckland University and later became the Dean and associate professor of Māori and Pacific development. Melbourne is a significant figure in the revival of the Maori language with dozens of his now classic songs sung in classrooms throughout New Zealand. The power of his melodies and the brilliance of his compositions have...