What is the meaning of the opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa Maori first name?

Operatic soprano Tom Te Kanawa, a Maori—a people of Polynesian descent—ran a truck contracting business. Little did the Te Kanawas know when they named their daughter Kiri, the Maori word for bell, that someday commentators would be remarking on their daughter’s bell-like voice.

What ethnicity is Kiri Te Kanawa?

She was born on March 6, 1944, in Gisborn, NZ. Here, the birth child of a native Maori man and a woman of European extraction was adopted at five weeks of age by a local couple, Tom and Nell Te Kanawa, he also a Maori and she with family ties to the British Isles.

Does Kiri Te Kanawa live in NZ?

Dame Kiri Te Kanawa has moved back to New Zealand, to spend more time with her grandson. The famed opera soprano, 77, moved to London in 1966, to train at the London Opera Centre.

What is Kiri Te Kanawa famous for?

Kiri Te Kanawa, in full Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, original name in full Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron, (born March 6, 1944, Gisborne, North Island, New Zealand), New Zealand lyric soprano best known for her repertoire of works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Strauss.

What is the meaning of kiri?

Kiri is a given name appearing in various cultures. In Cambodian or Khmer, “Kiri” (or alternatively spelt “Kiry”) means mountain summit. In Māori, “kiri” means “skin”, “bark”, or “rind”.

What does the name Kiri mean?

mountain summit
The name Kiri is a gender-neutral name of Cambodian origin. The meaning of Kiri is ‘mountain summit’.

What does Kiri Te Kanawa do?

Opera singer
Actorjazz musician
Kiri Te Kanawa/Professions

Where does Kiri Te Kanawa live in NZ?

She said: “I’m 77 now and I don’t know how many summers I have left. I want those summers to be with Luther.” Her grandson lives in Auckland with his parents Tom Park, 42 — Te Kanawa’s son from her first marriage — and his partner, Zeera. Te Kanawa has moved to the Bay of Islands, a three-hour drive north of Auckland.

What did Kiri Te Kanawa sing at Prince Charles wedding?

Let the Bright Seraphim
Dame Kiri performed Handel’s Let the Bright Seraphim at the wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.