Taonga Puoro: Singing Treasures is the first book to be published that comprehensively covers the world of Maori musical instruments, a fascinating and little-known area of traditional Maori culture. Written by master carver and Maori instrument-maker Brian Flintoff, Taonga Puoro includes a background to the tunes played on these instruments and the families of natural sounds with which they are associated. There are sections covering the varous types of instruments, such as flutes, gourds, wood and shell trumpets and bullroarers; but what really breathes life into this book is the way that the technical information about each instrument is interwoven with the mythological and cultural context to which it belongs. In addition, instructions are given for making and playing these singing treasures, as well as an explanation to help understand Maori art forms. Taonga Puoro is illustrated with colour photographs of exquisite contemporary instruments as well as ancient taonga held in museums around the world.
