A teenage boy band’s high school hack performance went viral, garnering millions of views from around the world.
The performance at the school gym was posted by TikTok user @papa.and.pepe in late January and has been inspiring people around the world to learn about Maori culture ever since.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Haka performed at the school.
Watch the latest news on channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >>
“Back to chicken for 2023,” reads the video’s caption.
The “beautiful” footage shows a large group of schoolchildren passionately performing the haka as the singing echoes through the gym.
The video takes place in wharekura, an immersive high school that teaches Maori principles, uses the Maori language, and incorporates traditional Maori customs into its work, according to Te Aka’s online dictionary.
Haka, states Te Aka, is a “posture dance” that involves “energetic dances with actions and rhythmic shouting out of words”.
There are various types of haka, including the haka pohiri, a welcome dance performed for visitors; pōtēteke, in which the performers repeat their haka while upside down, and the haka taparahi, a pose dance performed without weapons.
The video has since gained over 55 million views, 6.9 million likes and 38,400 comments.
In the comments, TikTok users expressed complete reverence for the passion of the young men.
“I love seeing the younger generation with such love and pride for their culture,” said one person.
“It’s so beautiful,” added another.
“I get goosebumps every time I see videos of people doing a haka dance,” added a third.
In another follow-up video, which reached over two million views, the account posted an all-female haka with the caption Wāhine Toa, meaning “warrior women”.
