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Photographs by Ans Westra
The Hi-Fives can already claim to be New Zealand's most successful entertainment group—Maori or Pakeha—ever to travel overseas.
THE HI-FIVE STORY
Overseas Fame in Three Short Years
Three years ago, nobody had ever heard of them. Now they are internationally famous in their field. It is hardly usual for a group of unknown entertainers to break through to the big time in three short years—especially when their starting point is a country so removed from the centres of sophisticated night-club entertainment as New Zealand. But the Hi-Fives have certainly made it.
Their show is an exhilarating, dazzling affair, with a polish, pace, and perfection of timing that must have been a quite new experience to many in their New Zealand audiences.
Their recent tour of New Zealand is their first time home in three years' climb to the top. In the meantime they have been a tremendous success in Australia, Britain, Europe and America. They have been seen on television by something like 150,000,000 people in ten countries have topped the bill in dozens of theatres and clubs, and have performed for Princess Margaret and European royalty.
They have also ‘sold’ New Zealand—and incidentally the Maori people—to overseas audiences on a scale that would make any public relations expert boggle.
It all started when Wes Epae from Taranaki, King Solomon (‘Solly’) Pohatu from Gisborne, Robert Hemi from the Wairarapa, and Paddy Te Tai from Auckland met up together in Wellington. They formed a group, played at some local dances, and then added a fifth member to the combination—Kawana Pohe. Like the others, Kawana was 21 years old, and he was going blind. He was already blind in one eye, and was rapidly losing the sight of the other. He had been told that the only chance of saving his sight would be an operation, an expensive one, which could only be performed in England.
Plenty of Talent
At this time Kawana, who comes from Putiki at Wanganui, was attending a school for the blind in Wellington, learning to be a piano tuner. Like the others, he had plenty of talent, and was a versatile instrumentalist, playing the saxophone, clarinet, piano, bass and guitar.
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The Hi-Fives, as they now called themselves, acquired one other invaluable asset in Wellington—their manager Charles Mather, who is one very important reason for their success. Mr Mather, a former Royal Marine, took command of the Hi-Fives after he saw them in action at a Wellington night-club where he was manager.
The Hi-Fives decided to try their luck in Australia. Kawana wasn't certain at first about going, thinking that he might be a burden to his friends. But the others persuaded him to come, and decided at the same time that if they could possibly do so, they were going to earn the money to allow Kawana to go to London to have the eye operation he needed if his sight were to be saved.
On to London
The group had planned to spend three months in Australia, but they were so successful that they were there for fourteen months. Then the Hi-Fives took the decisive step of moving on to London. Once more all went well for them; only two days after they had landed in England, they had an engagement to perform at London's Embassy Club.
It was at this stage that Mary Nimmo joined the Hi-Fives. Mary, who is from Levin, had always been very interested in singing, and was a keen musician. She had never thought seriously of a career on the stage, however, until she was engaged to sing with a band in Surfers Paradise during a holiday in Australia. It was shortly after this that she was offered the position as vocalist with the Hi-Fives, who were then in the position as vocalist with the Hi-Fives, who were then in London. A few hours later, she had packed her bags and was on a plane to London.
Success in Europe
After this the band toured France, Germany and Holland with great success. They had a part in Wald Disney's film ‘The Cast-aways’, then were booked for a tour of Sweden, Norway and Finland. Here again the story was one of success, with broken attendance records and many return engagements.
Meanwhile, back in London, Kawana Pohe was undergoing the second of the series of delicate operations necessary to save his sight. Again all went well. He had 60 per cent vision now, and could see well enough to write music. After the final operation on their next trip to London, Kawana should have nearly 100 per cent vision once more.
Shortly before their return to New Zealand, the Hi-Fives—there were already six of them—added a seventh member to their group. Peter Woolland from Wanganui is a spectacular drummer with a fabulous rhythm and an amazing technique. The only pakeha in the group, he claims he is joining them in order to show overseas audiences that there are some Europeans in New Zealand also!
Next step for the Hi-Fives is Sweden, then a tour of other European countries. Then they are heading for Las Vegas, the famous entertainment centre in the United States.
The Hi-Fives' future is bright indeed. Already, after three short years, they must be considered as New Zealand's most successful entertainment group—Maori or Pakeha—ever to travel overseas. They have achieved this by managing to combine their natural Maori exuberance, charm and musical talent, with strenuous self-discipline, adaptability, and really hard work. They have certainly earned their success.
Solly Pohatu's version of ‘Speedy Gonzales’, complete with mule, usually leaves their audience in hysterics.
An assorted group of 38 Colombo Plan and private students from a dozen different countries have visited Ruatoria as guests of the people there. The party, which consists mostly of Asians and Africans, was billeted in Maori homes for five days.
