The music of the Marshall Islands has a long history. The

Marshall Islands The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Intern ...

are an independent island chain, geographically and culturally part of the

Micronesia Micronesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania, consisting of about 2,000 small islands in the western Pacific Ocean. It has a close shared cultural history with three other island regions: the Philippines to the west, Polynesia to the east, and ...

n area. It was part of the

Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands The Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI) was a United Nations trust territory in Micronesia administered by the United States from 1947 to 1994. History Spain initially claimed the islands that later composed the territory of the Trus ...

, governed by the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, until independence in 1986. The ''

roro Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or using ...

'' is a kind of traditional chant, usually about ancient legends and performed to give guidance during navigation and strength for mothers in labor. Modern bands have blended the unique songs of each island in the country with modern music. Though drums are not generally common in Micronesian music, one-sided hourglass-shaped drums are a major part of Marshallese music.Music of the Pacific Island Nations
/ref> The

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...

of the Marshall Islands is "

Forever Marshall Islands "Forever Marshall Islands" (), also known by its incipit, "" ("Our Islands"), is the national anthem of the Marshall Islands. The lyrics were written by former President Amata Kabua, and the music was composed by Korean composer Gil ok-yun (also ...

",which

Amata Kabua Amata Kabua (November 17, 1928 – December 19, 1996) was the first President of the Marshall Islands from 1979 until his death in 1996 (five consecutive terms). Background Amata Kabua was a scion of Marshallese Royalty. Amata Kabua is the son ...

wrote the lyrics for.

Traditional dances

There is a traditional Marshallese dance called

beet The beetroot is the taproot portion of a beet plant, usually known in North America as beets while the vegetable is referred to as beetroot in British English, and also known as the table beet, garden beet, red beet, dinner beet or golden beet ...

, which is influenced by Spanish folk dances. In it, men and women side-step in parallel lines, creating a very difficult and complex rhythm. There is a kind of "stick dance" performed by the Jobwa, nowadays only for very special occasions.

References

Music of the Pacific Island Nations
– Southern Cross University

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