Of Māori origin.
Māori people are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand.
Kiri, in Māori language, means the skin of a tree or a fruit.
Famous bearer is opera singer Kiri Te Kanawa.
Kiri Te Kanawa has gained legendary status from the very beginning of her amazing career.
In 1982 she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, for her services to opera.
She created the “Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation” in order to provide financial and mentoring support for outstanding New Zealand’s singers.
Journalist Sir John Tusa talked with Dame Kire Te Kanawa in what himself calls “her home”, the “Royal Opera House”: