The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #20825   Message #1396474
Posted By: Jim Dixon
01-Feb-05 - 11:04 PM
Thread Name: Lyr Req: songs from 'Once Were Warriors'
Subject: Lyr Add: RUA KENANA
Interesting. Here we have a Hawaiian band (Kapena) singing about a Maori prophet (Rua Kenana) using a Jamaican rhythm. You can hear a generous sound sample of Kapena's recording at their website. However, I don't think Kapena performed it on the soundrack.

allmusic says RUA KENANA was written by D. Grace.

Lyrics below copied from copied from a Hawaiian music fan site:

RUA KENANA

CHORUS:
 Am
Ooh yeah Ooh yeah Ooh yeah.
                                 G
Scoodily woodily woop bop bayo whoa.
                Am
Rua left his mark on this world.

Ooh yeah Ooh yeah ooh yeah.
                                  G
Scoodily woodily woop bop bayo whoa.
                Am
Rua left his mark on this world.

Rua Kenana, Tuhoe prophet from the Uruwera.
G             Am
O Rua, Rua Kenana.

Rua Kenana, Tuhoe prophet from the Uruwera.
G             Am
O Rua, Rua Kenana.
He told his people not to go to war.
Let the white man fight the white man's war.
O Rua, Rua Kenana.
He told his people not to go to war.
Let the white man fight the white man's war.
O Rua, Rua Kenana. CHORUS

He lived there at Maungapohatu.
Children of the mist is what they called you.
O Tuhoe, Tuhoe nui paru.
He lived there at Maungapohatu.
Children of the mist is what they called you.
O Tuhoe, Tuhoe nui paru. CHORUS

[Recorded by Kapena on "Kapena Is Da Crew," 1999.]