The moment we were perceived, one of their women made a signal to us, by holding up a red mat, and waving it in the air, while she repeatedly cried out at the same time in a loud and shrill voice, haromai, haromai, haromai, (come hither) the customary salutation of friendship and hospitality. Calling the dead - Karanga Karanga are calls performed by women on the marae, usually to welcome visitors. This karanga was recorded on October 7, 1963, at the annual celebration of the coronation of King Koroki at Turangawaewae, Ngaruawahia. It was performed by a Waikato woman during a p?whiri, or welcome, for visitors from Ng?puhi and Ng?iterangi tribes. The visitors are greeted as representatives of the tribes to which they belong. As they approach, their hosts mourn for those on both sides who have died, and especially those whose deaths have occurred since the last such meeting took place. Visitors then address the ancestral house, and farewell the dead, and the chants become entwined. Thanks to Mervyn McLean for permission to use his archive recording,and details from McLean and Orbell, Traditional Songs of the Maori, 1975 Wecoming the living - action songs The karanga for the dead clears a spiritual pathway between the hosts and the visitors. The living guests can then be welcomed. There are many Maori songs of welcome, most with similar ritual words. Here is one by Sir Apirana Ngata, father of the action song. Listen to The Ngata Memorial College in this 96