Mauri cultural shows are big business here in the town of Rotorua, New Zealand. For about $80 USD guests are provided a buffet style meal, and are then entertained for about an hour by people dressed in traditional clothes and singing traditional songs (although they all use the guitar). What really brings in the tourists is the "haka", the Mauri chant that gets warriors ready for battle, popularized by movies like "Whale Rider" and the sports team "The All Blacks". The chant involves the warriors sticking out their tongues and bulging their eyes in order to intimidate their opponent. To me it is has the opposite effect; it makes me laugh, probably because the performers don't do it right, or perhaps because watching it in the conference room of the Holiday Inn takes something away.
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