HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI!!!!

OK so you probably think I’m being derogatory in the title, but Homai Te Pakipaki Is basically a low budget New Zealand version of American Idol.  It actual means ‘Give me the clap!’ or ‘Give me the dried human head’ depending on which way you translate pakipaki from the native Maori language to English, but in this case its Give me the Clap.  And many weeks, I watch this show and definitely clap, and even pay 99 cents NZ to vote each week.  Yes, most of the contestants are Maori in origin, but you don’t have to be Maori to be on the show; Pakeha (or Non-Maori/White People) are allowed to participate on the show as contestants, but I feel that most of the time it’s a Maori singer that wins.  Its basically a karaoke kind of thing.  And yes, I know I haven’t updated my blog lately, but I’ve been so busy with exams and school it’s been slightly difficult.  I promise I will update more often soon.  But for now….Have a look at one of the contestants from season 3 of HOMAI TE PAKIPAKI!!!  Yes the format is low budget, but for New Zealand it is defiantly good wholesome entertainment.  P.S. I might convince all my flatmates (or roommate's as we would call them back home in Canada) to go out for an audition sometime soon and see if any of us can make it on the show.  Considering the population of all of New Zealand is approximately equal to the population of the GTA I’m sure at least one of us will stand a good chance of possibly making it into the show.  They have 10 contestants per week, with each weeks winner getting a prize of $1000 and qualifying for the semi final and possibly the finals.  But for now…until I blog again…have a look at one of the singers who competed one Homai Te Pakipaki with the song that everybody’s heard: Whitney Houston’s “I will always love you” (P.S.  they never sing modern songs, and all the songs they choose are from the 80’s/early 90’s – most likely because of the limited budget they have of what karaoke song versions they can buy.  Hahaha)