Ricky Mitai, a celebrated kapa haka leader, died unexpectedly on Monday and those gathered at Tā Bom Gillies’ tangihanga took the opportunity to pay their respects to him.
A proud descendant of Te Whakatōhea, Ricky Lee Tapuni Mitai, aged 36, was a passionate advocate for the revitalisation and preservation of te reo Māori and tikanga.
He dedicated much of his life to the cultural arts and was a past winner of the prestigious Manukura Tāne Trophy at Te Matatini and an esteemed leader of the Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti Kapa Haka.
Tā Derek Lardelli said Mitai will be mourned and farewelled as one of the greats within te ao haka.
“Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti, tēnei a Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti e tangi nei, e mihi nei, e poroporoaki atu nei ki tērā o ngā toa, ki tērā o ngā tipua o te so kapa haka. Tamariki tonu, kāore anō kia ūpokohina, kua ngaro atu ki tai whetuki o te pō."
“Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti, Whāngārā Mai Tawhiti, mourns with you as we farewell one of the greats of kapa haka. He was still young and yet to reach his full potential, and has been taken too soon."
Lardelli gives his support to Mitai’s kapa haka group Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti.
“Nō reira, Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti, ngā tuākana o Te Whakatōhea, kia mau tonu ki te mauri manawa tapu o te rōpū, ko tāna i whakatakoto ai hei whāriki, hei takapau mō te iwi, mō te katoa."
“So Opōtiki Mai Tawhiti, and our relations of Te Whakatōhea, hold fast to the tenets of the group, of which he laid the foundations and paved a way for the tribe, for everyone.”
Tenga Rangitauira of Ngāti Whakaue, was also at Tā Bom Gillies’ tangihanga and shared that they had performed together once.
“Nui ngā kōrero mō tēnei mea mō te moumou, moumou rawa atu te rironga o Rik, āna pūmanawa ārahi, ko ia tētahi o ngā kaitātaki toa o te motu i ārahi i a Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti.
“I haka tahi mātou ko tōna whānau i a au i Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti, i ngā rekereke o Te Kahautu (Maxwell).
“There are many stories about this great loss, a huge loss with the passing of Rik, his talents, his leadership — he is a winner of the male leader title when he led Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti.
“We performed together with his family in Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti, under the tutelage of Te Kahautu (Maxwell)."
Rangitauira sends his condolences to the whānau, acknowledging the recent passing of Mitai’s father.