Paraire "Friday" Henare Tomoana (died 15 April 1946) was a MÃÂori political leader, journalist, historian, sportsman, and lyricist of the NgÃÂti Kahungunu and NgÃÂi Te Whatu-i-ÃÂpiti tribes. Born either in Waipatu or Pakowhai near Hastings, he was the son of Henare Tomoana, the principal chief of the Heretaunga region and Member of Parliament for the Eastern MÃÂori electorate. He was educated at Te Aute College and was a member of the Young MÃÂori Party, an association of alumni from the college that dominated the MÃÂori political landscape in the early 20th century.
Tomoana was in favour of MÃÂori enlistment in the First World War, and was a major fundraiser and organiser of recruitment drives for the New Zealand (MÃÂori) Pioneer Battalion. Between 1921 and 1932 he was an editor of the MÃÂori newspaper Te Toa Takitini, an Anglican periodical providing MÃÂori commentary on current events and MÃÂori history. Tomoana's musical compositions include E Pari RÃÂ and I Runga O Nga Puke. He was an Anglican lay reader, and at the time of his death was widely acknowledged as an authority on MÃÂori history and culture.
Tomoana suffered a stroke and died on 15 April 1946. He was succeeded as the principal NgÃÂti Kahungunu chief of the Heretaunga region by his eldest son, Taanga Tomoana.
In his youth, Tomoana received both a MÃÂori and a European education. He attended Te Aute College and, at his father's insistence, received military training in PÃ Ârangahau from an uncle, Ihaia Hutana. During his time at Te Aute, Tomoana became a close friend and confidante of ÃÂpirana Ngata; they remained close all their lives. Despite having a club foot, Tomoana became a skilled sportsman, and represented Hawke's Bay and Gisborne in tennis, rugby, cricket, and golf. As a coach, he went on several international tours with sports teams from Te Aute College. Tomoana's first wife was Pani Potangaroa, whom he divorced in 1912 as they had failed to produce any children. The following year he began a courtship with Kuini Ripeka Raerena, who later became his second wife. The courtship was the subject of Tomoana's lyrical composition Pokarekare Ana. They had eight children and one adopted son.
On 27 March 1913, Paraire Tomoana married Kuini Ripeka Raerena. According to the history recounted by their descendants, Tomoana wrote the lyrics to Pokarekare Ana as a letter to Kuini, and adopted the tune from an unknown origin. At Te Poho-o-Rawiri Marae, near Gisborne, he sang the song to Kuini and proposed marriage. The lyrics were first published in 1921, with the tune scored in waltz time. Most contemporary arrangements of the song use a time signature, but performances by Tomoana's descendants still use the original arrangement. The origin of the tune is subject to debate; in the song's first publication in 1921, Tomoana wrote that "it emanated from the North of Auckland", and was later popularised by MÃÂori soldiers who were training near Auckland before embarking for the war in Europe. The question of the tune's origin has never been settled. Some descendants of ÃÂpirana Ngata have claimed that he was the true composer of the song's lyrics, but this was not supported by any claim made by Ngata himself.
As part of his involvement in the Young MÃÂori Party, Tomoana was committed to fundraising and recruiting MÃÂori for the First and Second World Wars. He became a prolific composer of MÃÂori action songs, many of which remain popular today. In 1915 he composed I Runga O NgÃÂ Puke, which was first performed in Wellington as the Second Maori Contingent departed New Zealand for the Gallipoli Campaign. In 1917 he collaborated with ÃÂpirana Ngata to compose Te Ope Tuatahi, the recruitment song for the New Zealand (MÃÂori) Pioneer Battalion.
In 1918 Tomoana wrote the lyrics for E Pari RÃÂ, a lament to a MÃÂori soldier killed in the war. The origin of the tune that he adopted for E Pari RÃÂ has been attributed to a German waltz called the Blue Eye's Waltz. Two stories are attributed to the origin of the lyrics; according to some sources they were composed by Tomoana for Maku-i-te-Rangi Ellison, whose son Whakatomo Ellison had been killed in the war. According to Tomoana's eldest son Taanga Tomoana, the song was written at the request of Ngahiwi Petiha, a cousin of Tomoana's wife, who was convalescing from wounds in a hospital in England. The song became popular after the war, and was adopted by the Royal New Zealand Navy as its official slow march. It is still played by military bands of the New Zealand Defence Force, in particular by the band of the 7th Wellington and Hawke's Bay Battalion of the New Zealand Army. Composed as an action song, Tomoana originally wrote the score in a time signature, however in contemporary performances it is often performed as a slow lullaby in . Contemporary MÃÂori performances often include a slow verse in followed by a verse in double time, in which actions and poi may be used.