An old song of Samoa's past
The Traditional music of Samoa is a practice of the people and many people around the world have witnessed it without knowing that it's an ancient social art well preserved. Music in Samoa in the past took place for events, either for family or for the community, with some events being very large celebrations involving a town of people or more.
Festival entertainment and music of Samoa has been so gladly taken in by visitors, that it is always on public stages, and is a powerful Polynesian tourist attraction. Hawaii's Polynesian cultural center has performance stages from different island nations where they will share culture with some new, and old songs.
Samoans along with many other Polynesian cultures traditionally set with a type of chamber group orchestra or choir-like order, three to five drums, with a leader who sings overlapping ensembles and who chants out o'le phrases from history, or makes announcements of direction, similar to the Maori Haka where there is a leader to conduct the dance. Pacific Song & Dance types range from entertainment, ceremonial, and into War dancing. Some Polynesian dance (Sipi Tau, Haka, and Siva Tau) are used as a preface challenge and honorable welcome during international Rugby, Volleyball, and Netball sports.
Samoan-Hawaiian & Polynesian Music on the Modern stage
In many places around the world, traditional Arts have been lost from the lack of practice, and with losing those parts, they tend degrade in other areas of culture. Polynesian culture and Samoan culture continues to thrive. Most all people who visit Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, and Aotearoa New Zealand, have been to a Polynesian traditional performance, either at the Hotel on vacation, on a cruise, walking into a Polynesian Airport, or possibly by attending a state supported Polynesian Cultural Center usually connected to the local Pacific Universities.
The Polynesian Culture is what creates the unique atmosphere that visitors from all around the world have come to enjoy and love. The Hawaiian islands and Disney World remain the USA's most attractive Tourism areas. Even Caribbean and Mexican vacation spots have attempted to bring that Pacific atmosphere all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, copying Bali (Indonesian) and Hawaiian style Architecture. Pacific Teak Wood and Pacific bamboos are imported to construct the luxury designs of Caribbean Hotels so that people relate their vacation spots with a Polynesian style paradise. Eastern Polynesian Hut-Bungalow built on shallow beach waters are seen in the Caribbean and continue to be couples get-away favorites. The pitch for Caribbean vacation development for East Coastal USA (New York, Georgia, Carolinas, Virginia, etc.) was once "A closer Paradise to home".
Polynesian Culture and it's Influences in the West
In the 1920s to the 1950s, Polynesian cultures attracted the most famous actors such as Bing Crosby who starred in the film "Waikiki Wedding" (1937). The film 'South Pacific' (1958) was the highest-grossing musical ever made by Rodgers and Hammerstein and produced in an island of Hawaii, until the film "The Sound of Music" with Julie Andrews released in 1965. The film 'South Pacific' out-grossed the famous movie 'Gone with the Wind' in the United Kingdom. The soundtrack album stayed at #1 in the UK Albums Chart for 115 weeks and spent 70 consecutive weeks at the top of the chart as #1 during 1959 to 1960. On August 21st 1959, the United States Congress merged with Hawaii as the 50th state in the Union.
Polynesian trends from Hawaiian beach fashion, to daily lingo and dress, poured into the western states, putting Pacific roots into California, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.
The Legendary musician Elvis Presley - The Rock n' Roll King, had first visited Hawaii in 1957 and from there after and forever more, Elvis announced his undying love and faithfulness to a Hawaiian and American way of life. In 1961, Elvis made the movie 'Blue Hawaii'.
In the United States, the Blue Hawaii musical album alone spent 20 weeks at the number one slot and 39 weeks in the Top 10 on Billboard's Top Pop LPs chart. The album was certified Gold on December 21st 1961 and Platinum, 2x Platinum on March 27th 1992, 3x Platinum on July 30th 2002 according to the Recording Industry Association of America.
The first United States satellite international TV broadcasted concert was on January 14th- 1973 and was "Elvis in Hawaii - Aloha from Hawaii", a historical moment for many who called it "The Ultimate Experience"[Full Elvis Concert 1973].
In the 1960's and 1970's, Hawaiians including the Samoan-Hawaiians, had again a significant influence in California, bringing the "Surfing Hang-Loose" tough swagger and fashion, made popular by Hawaiian-Californian Surfing Expos and the spreading legends of The Big Kahuna - The Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku. The Duke competed in the Olympics for almost 20 years, spreading the Mana of Hawaii.
The Traditional Sport of Polynesian Surfing spread into Australia, New Zealand, parts of Europe, and California. The Surfing Sport then became so popular that it spawned other Boarding sports, the most famous being Pro-Skateboarding. Beach Sports like Volleyball became a California pass-time. Also trends of Pacific Island Tattooing stayed and developed mostly on the west coasts of the USA. Polynesian tattoos first came with the US. Navy, then spread to other military branches and civilian communities. The West Coast California (Hang loose vibe) vs East coast New York (Stuffy and old) culture clash, is greatly due to the early Polynesian influences of the 1950-60's into the west, which was brought by its most famous movie stars and singers back to the states like Legendary actor Marlon Brando. Mr. Brando fell in love with Tahiti after one of his movies 'Mutiny on the Bounty 1962', married and had an island home with children.
On March 4th 1963, the record breaking single came "Surfin USA" by the Beach Boys, who owned the number one spot in the USA and was in the top 20 in the United Kingdom, even with the UK not having a surf culture. The group had nationwide Top 40 hits with songs like Surfin USA, Surfin Safarai, Surfer Girl, California Girl, Surfs Up, and more. In 1988, the band was inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame.
"In the early 1900s, finding a culture still thriving against what seemed to be world wide Industrialization, was usually far and distant. Polynesian culture was so similar to the American spirit at that time, to be absolutely free in body, free from worry, free from oppression, and to be unlimited in expression, that the two spirits fused in the west coast areas of the USA. The American Spirit is what made America, and Polynesia at that time was in a very strong way a spiritual brother"
Polynesian Cultural Influence in the 1990s-2000's
The states of California, Washington, and Nevada in the 1990's still shown strong links with Hawaii, with a youthy beach "Hang loose, be cool" mentality, settled within the urban communities, and was reflected in HIT movies such as "Bill and Teds excellent adventure" franchise, "Wayne's World", and "Point Break", to films and cartoon series like "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" among many others.
While Polynesian music has one leg in the past, they also continue to have a foot into new areas, genres that combine both the old and new. The Moana musical group "Te Vaka" is an example of an extremely internationally admired band who's known through-out for the "Traditional plus Modern" approach to music in the early 80's and 1990s.
The Legendary band has won "Best Pacific Music Album" award for their albums Tutuki (2004) and Olatia (2007) from the New Zealand Music Awards, along with "Best Pacific Group" in the 2008 from the Pacific Music Awards. They have been acclaimed by the BBC as "The world's most successful band playing original contemporary Pacific music".
Other combinations of musical genres from Samoan groups based in California like the Boo-Yaa-Tribe are credited with being the first "Rap-Rock sound", using parts of music from American Polynesian Doo-Wap styles of the 1950's, and put together with 1990's Gangster-Rap.
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the Samoan culture grows in Auckland and other areas of the North Island. On stages they celebrate with other Polynesian nationalities during New Zealand's ASB "Polyfest Event", one of the newest and largest gathering places of Polynesians in the world.
Samoan Performance Art with Traditional Dance forms
More Viewing lists - Other Moana Production [Youtube]
Tradtional Music - Stage Production:
► Merrie Monarch Festival 2010 KE KAI O KAHIKI [username: TeFetia]
► 2009 Merrie Monarch Women Kahiko Winners - Halau Na Mamo O Puuanahulu
► PolyFest '08 - Samoa Stage: Pt.1 [username: PolyFest08]
► PT 5_Te Aute Hukarere Kapa Haka Nationals 2010 Rotorua.MOD
► Matarae Haka Arawa Regionals 2010 Rotorua
► Te Waka Huia 07- Whakaeke [username: Curvyswede]
Modern - Traditionals Music Production
► Te Vaka - MANATU - [username: migjikka]
► TANGAROA - god of the sea - Tiki Taane [username: tikidub]
► Reconnect - Song - By Maisey Rika
► Stomping - Song - By King Kapisi
Posted in: A.P.I. A. Studies
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