An imene tuki is a
traditional hymn of the Cook Islands. It is accompanied singing noted for a drop and raise in pitch at the end of phrases, and rhythmic nonsensical syllables, comparable to
Scat singing
In vocal jazz, scat singing is vocal improvisation with wordless vocables, nonsense syllables or without words at all. In scat singing, the singer improvises melodies and rhythms using the voice as an instrument rather than a speaking medium. ...
. Similar syllables and improvisations are found in Tahitian
Himene tarava
Himene tarava () is a style of traditional Tahitian music.
Music
The style is started by one person singing a stanza. Other singers gradually join in and rhyme with the person. The men sing in a deep voice for punctuation, while the women sing i ...
.
Hymn
The hymn commonly features four different harmonies. It contains a female soprano melody called a perepere, and a male bass line with rhythmic grunting. The performers also sway their arms left and right to the tune of the music.
Location of performance
The song is usually played at church, and other religious locations. The dance is often called "Christian dancing", due its context.
An example of one of these performances occurred at the
Cook Islands Christian Church The Cook Islands Christian Church (CICC) is the largest religious denomination in the Cook Islands. It belongs to the Reformed family of churches. The CICC is a Christian Congregationalist church and has approximately 18,000 members,[Titikaveka
Titikaveka is one of the five districts that make up the island of Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. It is located in the south of the island, to the south of the districts of Ngatangiia and Avarua, and east of the district of Arorangi
Arorangi is o ...]
, where it was sung by many native children.
History
Imene tuki was first discovered by missionaries arriving in the island in the 19th century. They were impressed by the scattered sounds, rhythmic chanting, and swaying of the music.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Imene Tuki
Cook Islands music
Cook Islands inventions