Dalvanius Prime
| Dalvanius Prime | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Maui Dalvanius Prime |
| Born | 16 January 1948 |
| Origin | New Zealand |
| Died | 3 October 2002 (aged 54) |
| Years active | 1975–2002 |
Maui Dalvanius Prime (16 January 1948 – 3 October 2002) was a New Zealand entertainer and songwriter. His career spanned 30 years. He mentored many of New Zealand's Māori performers, and was a vocal and forthright supporter of Māori culture.
Early life
Prime is of Tainui, Ngapuhi, Ngati Ruanui, Tuwharetoa, Nga Rauru, Pakakohi and Ngai Tahu descent. The sixth of 11 children, Prime grew up in a house always filled with different types of music. His best friend at primary school was Maurice James Fairweather.
Prime attended the Church College of New Zealand located in Temple View, Hamilton during his high school years.
Career
In the late 1960s Prime moved to Wellington and worked as a cook by day and musician at night. His involvement with The Shevelles, a Māori female vocal trio from Porirua, lead to several trips to Australia.
In 1970, Prime travelled to Australia and performed at the opening of the Sydney Opera House. The resignation of Australia's Prime Minister Gough Whitlam in 1975 inspired the song Canberra, We're Watching You.
In 1983 he formed his own production company, Maui Records. And he became increasingly involved with Māori music. In 1984, Prime recorded Poi E with the Patea Māori club. The album was very popular in New Zealand, attaining platinum certification.
He appeared in the film Te Rua in 1990 and sang the theme song "Chudka Pā Poy", which is about apartheid.
He also worked closely with Ngoi Pēwhairangi, who helped develop Te Kohanga Reo, Māori language pre-school system. He provided the music for many of her lyrics.
Advocacy
Later, Prime became a campaigner for the return of mokomokai (preserved, tattooed human heads) from overseas museums.
Prime was an advocate for young people involved in court cases and victims of domestic violence.
Death
Prime died in 2002 in Hawera after a long battle with cancer. He was buried in his family urupa at Nukumaru, South Taranaki, New Zealand.
Discography
| Date of Release | Title | Label | Charted | Country | Catalog Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Poi E | Maui Records/Jayrem Records | - | - | CDJAY377 |
| 2003 | A Man Of Passion | Maui Records/Jayrem Records | - | - | CDJAY381 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Album | Charted | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Poi E" (with the Patea Māori Club) |
1 | Platinum | ||
| "Ngoi Ngoi" (with the Patea Māori Club) |
- | - | ||
| "Aku Raukura" (with the Patea Māori Club) |
10 | Gold | ||
| "Hei Konei Ra" | 21 | - | ||