A karanga is an element of cultural protocol of the New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 Māori people. It is an exchange of calls that forms part of the powhiri

Powhiri

A Pōwhiri is a Māori welcoming ceremony involving speeches, dancing, singing and finally the hongi...

, a Māori welcoming ceremony. It takes place as a visiting group moves onto the marae

Marae

A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...

 or into the formal meeting area. Karanga are carried out almost exclusively by women and in Māori language, and are initiated by the tangata whenua

Tangata Whenua

Tāngata whenua is a Māori term of the indigenous peoples of New Zealand and literally means "people of the land", from tāngata, 'people' and whenua land.-Meanings:...

or hosts, and responded to by the visitors.

The karanga follow a particular format in keeping with protocol. This includes exchanging greetings, paying tribute to the dead (especially those who have most recently died), and referring to the reason that has brought the two groups together. It has an important function in building connections between the tangata whenua and manuhiri, and setting the agenda for the gathering.

Sources

• Karanga - Korero Maori
• Audio recording, words and music notation of a karanga
• http://www.edesignz.co.nz/dictionary/dictionary-searchresults/K-3.htm