What is traditional Samoan music?
Traditional Music. Historically, Samoans had only two instruments: the pate and the fala. The pate is a drum made out of a hollowed out log, and a fala is a mat that is rolled up and then beat with sticks. Even with just these two instruments, music is a plays a significant role in the culture of Samoa.
What type of music does Samoa have?
Modern Samoan music shows influence from electrical instruments, jazz, and reggae, and even some house and techno styles.
What are Samoan drums called?
The Pātē is a Samoan percussion instrument of Tahitian origin, named after the Samoan word for “beat” or “clap” “pulse”. It is one of many Samoan log drum variants and is of the slit drum family, and therefore is also of the idiophone percussion family.
Why is music important in Samoa?
Samoa has a very rich and old history and despite centuries of European influence, it still maintains its historical customs, social and political systems, and language. Music and dance are part of everyday life. Singing is especially important as people use it to rejoice, mourn, and keep their culture alive.
Why is music important to Samoan culture?
Music is a powerful force in Samoan culture, and shapes their identity with the use of resonant lyrics sung in their native tongue, song, and dance used to parallel their everyday lives and beliefs.
What is a Samoan fire dance?
Siva afi, or fire knife dancing is a tradition rooted in Samoan culture that incorporates the Samoan weapon nifo oti, or war knife. Our tribal performers twirl the weapon and showcase other acrobatic tricks that will have you on the edge of your seat as they literally set the stage on fire!
What is Samoan art?
Traditional Samoan arts include tatau, siapo, and ie toga, which are body art, decorative fabric, and fine mats. Current Samoan artists, like Fatu Feu’u are inspired by traditional Samoan art and share it with the world.
What are Tūmutūmu?
Tumutumu family Tōkere are small pieces of hard wood or shells held in the palm by dancers and played like castanets. Some small versions of the pahū (log drum) suggest their use in music. The gourd instruments hue puruwai and hue rarā are variations of rhythmic shakers with loose seeds or pebbles inside.
What is the Samoan culture?
The traditional culture of Samoa is a communal way of life based on Fa’a Samoa, the unique socio-political culture. In Samoan culture, most activities are done together. One’s family is viewed as an integral part of a person’s life. The aiga or extended family lives and works together.
What is Islander music called?
Some of the styles to gain wide popularity outside the Caribbean include, bachata, merenque, palo, mombo, denbo, baithak gana, bouyon, cadence-lypso, calypso, chutney, chutney-soca, compas, dancehall, jing ping, parang, pichakaree, punta, ragga, reggae, reggaeton, salsa, soca, and zouk.
