The traditional music of Tuvalu consists of dances, including ''
fatele
The fatele is a traditional dance song of Tuvalu. Dancing songs are the most common type of traditional Tuvaluan song, with other tradition dance styles including '' fakanau'' and '' fakaseasea''.
The ''fatele'', in its modern form, is perfor ...
'', ''
fakanau A fakanau (meaning "spells") is a traditional Tuvaluan male dance, accompanied by singing and rhythmic clapping.
''Fakanau'' singing and dancing are typical of Niutao and Nukufetau islands of Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, a group of ...
'' and ''
fakaseasea
The fakaseasea is a tradition dance song of Tuvalu. Dancing songs are the most common type of the traditional Tuvaluan songs, with other tradition dance styles including ''fakanau'' and ''fatele''.
Tuvaluan dance music
Dancing songs are the m ...
''. The influence of the Samoan missionaries sent to
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...
by the
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational miss ...
from the 1860s resulted in the suppression of songs about the traditional religions or magic and many songs were lost. As the influence of the missionaries diminished in the 20th century the traditional dances were revived and the
siva dance tradition from
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
also became popular. The ''fatele'', in its modern form, is performed at community events and to celebrate leaders and other prominent individuals.
''Te titi tao'' is a traditional skirt placed upon another skirt - a ''titi kaulama'' - and tops (''teuga saka''), headbands, armbands, and wristbands continue to be used in performances of the ''fatele''.
Te Vaka
Te Vaka (English: ''The Canoe'') is an Oceanic music group that performs original contemporary Pacific music or "South Pacific Fusion". The group was founded in 1995 by singer and songwriter Opetaia Foa'i in New Zealand. They have toured the wor ...
, an Oceanic music group, contains Tuvaluans and musicians with Tuvaluan ancestry; Te Vaka performs original contemporary Pacific music or "South Pacific Fusion".
History
Traditional music prior to European contact included poems performed in a sort of monotonal recitation, though this tradition has since become extinct.
In 1960-1961
Gerd Koch
Gerd Koch (11 July 1922 – 19 April 2005) was a German cultural anthropologist best known for his studies on the material culture of Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Santa Cruz Islands in the Pacific. He was associated with the Ethnological Museum of ...
, an anthropologist, made recordings of traditional songs on the atolls of
Niutao
Niutao is a reef island in the northern part of Tuvalu. It is one of the nine districts (islands) of Tuvalu. It is also one of the three districts that consist of only one island - not counting the three islets inside the closed lagoon. Niutao has ...
,
Nanumaga
Nanumanga or Nanumaga is a reef island and a district of the Oceanian island nation of Tuvalu. It has a surface area of about 3 km² with a population of 491 (2017 Census).
History
On 9 May 1824 a French government expedition under Captain ...
and
Nukufetau
Nukufetau is an atoll that is part of the nation of Tuvalu. The atoll was claimed by the US under the Guano Islands Act some time in the 19th century and was ceded in a treaty of friendship concluded in 1979 and coming into force in 1983. It has a ...
. These songs were considered in a 1964 musicological publication,
with a selection of the songs published in 2000 as ''Songs of Tuvalu'' together with two CDs of the recorded songs.
The influence of the Samoan missionaries sent to Tuvalu by the
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was an interdenominational evangelical missionary society formed in England in 1795 at the instigation of Welsh Congregationalist minister Edward Williams. It was largely Reformed in outlook, with Congregational miss ...
from the 1860s resulted in the suppression of songs about the traditional religions or magic, with the Samoan missionaries also influencing the development of the
Tuvaluan language
Tuvaluan (), often called Tuvalu, is a Polynesian language closely related to the Ellicean group spoken in Tuvalu. It is more or less distantly related to all other Polynesian languages, such as Hawaiian, Māori, Tahitian, Samoan, Tokelauan ...
.
The missionaries introduced church hymns and European song structures and melodies started to influence Tuvaluan music. However some pre-missionary songs survived and were recorded by Gerd Koch. In the early 1960s the
transistor radio
A transistor radio is a small portable radio receiver that uses transistor-based circuitry. Following the invention of the transistor in 1947—which revolutionized the field of consumer electronics by introducing small but powerful, convenien ...
provided access to European pop music and the
Hawaiian/Tahitian guitar rhythms, which influenced modern Tuvaluan music.
The recordings of Gerd Koch continue to be broadcast over
Radio Tuvalu along with modern Polynesian music.
The traditional music of Tuvalu encompassed different types of song with a strong emphasis on dancing songs.
Other types were play songs (sung during counting game, games of skill and other games);
work song
A work song is a piece of music closely connected to a form of work, either sung while conducting a task (usually to coordinate timing) or a song linked to a task which might be a connected narrative, description, or protest song.
Definitions and ...
s which the women performed, such as while preparing coconut fibre string; fishermen's calling songs; songs of praise (''viki'' or ''taugafatu''); and laments for deceased members of the family.
[Donald G. Kennedy]
''Field Notes on the Culture of Vaitupu, Ellice Islands''
Journal of the Polynesian Society
The Polynesian Society is a non-profit organisation based at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, dedicated to the scholarly study of the history, ethnography, and mythology of Oceania.
History
The society was co-founded in 1892 by Percy ...
, vol.38, 1929, pp.2-5 The tradition of singing appropriate for a
funeral
A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...
is called ''kupu'' and is similar to the ''fakaseasea''.
The ''fatele'', in its modern form, is performed at community events and to celebrate leaders and other prominent individuals, such as the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in September 2012.
The modern Tuvaluan style has absorbed many influences and can be described "as a musical microcosm of Polynesia, where contemporary and older styles co-exist".
Traditional Tuvaluan song structure
Traditional Tuvaluan songs are very short poems which are repeated. These songs have strong rhythm, which the performers would maintain by clapping or hitting their hands on the floor or a sound box, such as a
tea chest
A tea chest is a type of wooden case originally produced and used to ship tea to the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The conventional tea chest is a case with riveted metal edges, of approximate size .
The term is now used more wid ...
; with the tempo increasing as the song was repeated.
While Tuvaluan songs convey a dramatic story, the concentrated song structure often omitted reference to key events in the story.
Gerd Koch
Gerd Koch (11 July 1922 – 19 April 2005) was a German cultural anthropologist best known for his studies on the material culture of Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Santa Cruz Islands in the Pacific. He was associated with the Ethnological Museum of ...
describes traditional Tuvaluan songs:
An example of a pre-
missionary
A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...
song is ''Te foe, te foe kia atua'', which is a ''fakanau'' dancing song, from
Niutao
Niutao is a reef island in the northern part of Tuvalu. It is one of the nine districts (islands) of Tuvalu. It is also one of the three districts that consist of only one island - not counting the three islets inside the closed lagoon. Niutao has ...
recorded by Gerd Koch.
This concentrated dramatic story is an account of men of Niutao who come across a strange canoe out in the ocean. The men call out in greeting to the canoe but the crew make no reply. The men of Niutao believe it is a ghostly canoe – containing the gods – so in fear of impending disaster the men rapidly paddle home to the safety of Niutao.
When performed the strong rhythm of the song imitates the strokes of the men paddling, with the increase in tempo in the repetition of the song providing the dramatic emphasis of the escape from disaster.
Tuvaluan dance music
![Dancer, Tuvalu stage, 2011 Pasifika festival](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Dancer%2C_Tuvalu_stage%2C_2011_Pasifika_festival.jpg)
Dancing songs are the most common type of traditional Tuvaluan song. Older style dancing songs were performed while sitting, kneeling or standing. The two primary traditional dances of Tuvalu are the ''
fakanau A fakanau (meaning "spells") is a traditional Tuvaluan male dance, accompanied by singing and rhythmic clapping.
''Fakanau'' singing and dancing are typical of Niutao and Nukufetau islands of Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, a group of ...
'' (for men) and ''oga'' (for women) and ''fakaseasea''. Of these, the ''fakanau'' was a Niutao and Nukufetau dance performed primarily by the men, which was performed while sitting, or on Niutao while kneeling or standing, but without moving from the spot – the story of the song was illustrated by movements of the arms, hand and upper body. An elder could stand in the middle of a circle of performers keeping time.
The ''fakanau'', ''oga'' and the ''fakaseasea'' were used for celebrations and for praising fellow islanders. The only instrument was the use of a small wooden slit drum or a sound box, such as a
tea chest
A tea chest is a type of wooden case originally produced and used to ship tea to the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. The conventional tea chest is a case with riveted metal edges, of approximate size .
The term is now used more wid ...
; or the time was beaten with a fan or small rolled mat or the use of the palm of the hand on the floor.
The role of the ''
fakanau A fakanau (meaning "spells") is a traditional Tuvaluan male dance, accompanied by singing and rhythmic clapping.
''Fakanau'' singing and dancing are typical of Niutao and Nukufetau islands of Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, a group of ...
'' as a
praise song
Contemporary worship music (CWM), also known as praise and worship music, is a defined genre of Christian music used in contemporary worship. It has developed over the past 60 years and is stylistically similar to pop music. The songs are f ...
was an important part of
Tuvaluan culture
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. Its islands are situated about midway between Hawaii and Australia. They lie east-northeast ...
. A composer of a praise song would practice with the performers beforehand, and tell the subject of the song so he would have time to gather gifts. After the first performance, the subject would give the gifts to the performers, and would often continue to do so after future performances as well.
The ''fakanau'' and ''oga'' tradition has since died out.
The ''fakaseasea'' was mainly performed by young unmarried women, who were on their feet, dancing and moving their arms, hand and upper body; while men and women would sing and beat the time.
It is a slower song with very loose rules on how to dance to it, with variations on different islands with different names. The ''fakaseasea'' tradition continued although performed mainly by elders.
The traditional ''fatele'' was performed in the sitting or kneeling position by five or six young women, who while singing, moved their arms, hand and upper body; the men and woman act as the chorus.
The most popular form of Tuvaluan dance music in the modern era is the ''fatele'', which is influenced by European
melody
A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
and
harmony
In music, harmony is the process by which individual sounds are joined together or composed into whole units or compositions. Often, the term harmony refers to simultaneously occurring frequencies, pitches ( tones, notes), or chords. However ...
and is competitive, with each island divided into two sides.
Lyricism is an important part of the ''fatele'' tradition, which begins with the older men singing a song in a meeting hall (''maneapa''), then gradually repeating it louder and quicker as the others join in; they also use empty cabin cracker cans or wooden boxes to beat the rhythm.
The modern ''fatele'' involves the young unmarried women on their feet, dancing in lines; with the men facing the dancers, sitting on the floor beating the time with their hands on the mats or on wooden boxes. The dancers enact the story being retold, and the music finally climaxes and ends abruptly.
The festivities, including church festivals and weddings, at which the ''fatele'' are performed can go on for hours.
The ''fatele'' tradition is shared with the
music of Tokelau 300px, The ''pate'' slit drum is used to make music in Tokelau.
The music of Tokelau occurs in the atolls of Atafu, Nukunonu, and Fakaofo. It is dominated by communal choral activity in harmony, with percussive accompaniment including log drums ...
.
The swaying in rhythmic dances was considered erotic by missionaries and most traditional dancing was forbidden.
The ban came along with restrictions on traditional religious activity as these dances served a spiritual purpose as well. As the influence of the missionaries diminished in the 20th century the
siva dance tradition from
Samoa
Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa; sm, Sāmoa, and until 1997 known as Western Samoa, is a Polynesian island country consisting of two main islands (Savai'i and Upolu); two smaller, inhabited islands (Manono Island, Manono an ...
became popular. This dance focuses on the individual dancers who have space in which to perform the steps and arm, hand and body movements of the Samoan
siva dance tradition.
See also
*
Tuvalu mo te Atua
"Tuvalu for the Almighty" ( tvl, "Tuvalu mo te Atua") is the national anthem of Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( or ; formerly known as the Ellice Islands) is an island country and microstate in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean. I ...
*
Afaese Manoa#National anthem of Tuvalu
References
Further reading
* Christensen, Dieter, ''Old Musical Styles in the Ellice Islands'', Western Polynesia, Ethnomusicology, 8:1 (1964), 34–40.
* Christensen, Dieter and
Gerd Koch
Gerd Koch (11 July 1922 – 19 April 2005) was a German cultural anthropologist best known for his studies on the material culture of Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Santa Cruz Islands in the Pacific. He was associated with the Ethnological Museum of ...
, ''Die Musik der Ellice-Inseln'', Berlin: Museum fur Volkerkunde, (1964)
*
Koch, Gerd, ''Songs of Tuvalu'' (translated by Guy Slatter), Institute of Pacific Studies, University of the South Pacific (2000)
*
* Linkels, Ad. ''The Real Music of Paradise'' (2000). In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), ''World Music, Vol. 2: Latin & North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific'', pp 218–229. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books.
*
''Vaiaso ote Gana'', Tuvalu Language Week Education Resource 2016 (New Zealand Ministry for Pacific Peoples)
External links
Polyfest Tuvalu Group 2015 (YouTube)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Music Of Tuvalu
Tuvaluan culture