Music of Samoa
Encyclopedia
The music of Samoa
is integral to life in the country. The most important and essential avenue has always been the voice. Singers mourn, rejoice, and reflect every emotion. The past, present, and sometimes the near future are put to song. Everyone sings, despite the cause, despite the situation, and most often, despite one's ability to do so.
Traditional Samoan musical instrument
s included a hollowed-out log (pate
) and a fala, a rolled-up mat; both, beaten with sticks, were idiophone
s, which often accompanied choral singing
. Another idiophone, a soundingboard
, sometimes accompanied the solo recitation of poetry. A conch shell was blown for signaling. Amusement for small groups and individuals in private was afforded by a jaw harp, a raft panpipe, and a nose-blown flute
.
A musical or theatrical presentation celebrating a special event in which performance groups alternate in an attempt to outdo each others' efforts has come to be called a fiafia
. It is often a hotel performance, in which dances now called siva Samoa
and sasa
are performed.
"America Samoa", a song with words by Mariota Tiumalu Tuiasosopo
and music by Napoleon Andrew Tuiteleleapaga
, has been the official territorial anthem of American Samoa since 1950. "The Banner of Freedom
," a song that honors the flag of Samoa
, has been the national anthem of Samoa since 1962; it was composed by Sauni Iiga Kuresa.
missionaries in 1830, the music of Samoa was greatly influenced by Western evangelical hymnody and popular music, particularly North American
popular music. Two stringed instruments quickly became commonplace in the islands: the guitar (kitara) and in the early twentieth century the 'ukulele. By the end of the nineteenth century, European-style brass bands had come into existence in the major towns.
As Christianity
took root in the islands, late in the 19th century, ancient songs, accompanied by the percussive sound of sticks beating on a rolled mat, gave way to church choirs singing to the harmonies of pedaled organs. Later still, radio transmissions brought more variety, as local artists and audiences embraced each wave of "new" music. The arrival of U.S. Marines during World War II helped solidify the affinity for American popular music. Many earlier bands copied or imitated this music—a trend that continues. It is common practice and well accepted for Samoan musicmakers to take a Western song, replace the lyrics with Samoan words, and reintroduce the tune as an original. The guitar and 'ukulele became the usual instruments for composing and performing music. That sound is now often replaced by the electronic keyboard and the multiplex of sounds and faux instruments available with it. Many current Samoan musicians "upgrade" old Samoan tunes with new technology, or imitate and copy American popular music.
and Pacific Soul
. Even traditional hymns (pese lotu) have seen a fair amount of change. Some pop bands, such as the RSA Band and the Mount Vaea Band, are associated with hotels; some hotel bands have toured in New Zealand
and elsewhere. Pop musicians include the Lole, Golden Ali'is, The Five Stars
, and Jerome Gray, whose "We Are Samoa" remains an unofficial national anthem
. A Samoan group called Le Pasefika, going against the current trend by playing only old music, has become the hottest-selling Samoan group in the United States.
The nearly three decades of Samoan involvement in street dance
and rap music in the United States
has significantly affected cultural production in places where Samoans settled, particularly New Zealand
. In the early 1980s, Footsoulijah, four Samoan performers from Wellington, credit the Blue City Strutters, who later became the hip-hop group Boo-Yah T.R.I.B.E, for spreading their lifelong interest in street dance and their eventual gravitation towards hiphop. Footsoulijah is animated and colorful, and always perform in camouflage fatigues, which represent their militaristic name. The group composed the anthem "Represent for My People," which includes the chorus "Always represent for my peoples / Pacific islanders of foreign soil / style lethal / take a look as we enter the next chapter / flip the script / Polynesian is my flavour."
There is currently a dichotomy between old and new in cultural aspects of Samoan life, especially dance. Some assert, "Whereas Samoan music has adopted guitars and other musical instruments, dance, which relies solely upon the performers body (with some exceptions—fire dance, knife dance, etc) still requires the performer to retain grace and move their arms and hands in the approved fashion" but a National Geographic article from 1985 shows a "juxtaposition of 'tradition' and 'modernity' with two markedly different photographs of Samoan youth." One photograph has a Samoan child in traditional garb, dancing in a traditional way; the other shows a youth dressed in typical hiphop-style dancing.
Like other Samoans, Kosmo, one of the most famous Samoan hip-hop artists, picked up his dance moves while living in California
. He integrated a combination of a bit of strutting, a little boogaloo
and popping
, and some tutting
into his music. He learned the dance while staying with family in Carson, a community that drew large numbers of Samoans relocating from the islands in the 1950s-70s. As he discovered, popping and other 'street dance' forms thoroughly saturated the lives of Samoan youth growing up in the late 1970s and early 80s in Carson and neighboring Compton and Long Beach. He vividly remembers, "all the coolest cats was poppin' down at [Carson's] Scott Park." When he returned to New Zealand, his vocabulary brought him prestige among his peers, most of whom tried to integrate dance moves from movies. "Kosmo didn’t consider himself any good until he returned to New Zealand. . . . Here they were just doing the basics, he knew more." For young artists, this hiphop-oriented form of dancing was not only a way to express oneself creatively, but also a powerful sexual tool: “For young men, dance skills also helped to attract the young women who were always present either as critical audience or fellow dancers. As Kosmo recalls, “All the poppers got the girls,” highlighting another case of dance as an equalizing sexual power tool utilized by both sexes in global hip hop. In 1990, Kosmo and two fellow Samoans created The Mau, a hiphop group named for the organization that pushed for Samoan independence under the German
and New Zealand colonial administrations. Although the name was rooted in Samoan history, it demonstrates U.S. influences. Similar to the movement of black consciousness in America, the motto for the Mau movement in Samoa was Samoa Mo Samoa 'Samoa
for Samoans
'. The group continued to articulate a diasporic Samoan cultural nationalism by drawing upon their knowledge of Samoan history, as well as the popular stories of the Black Power movement presently circulating in American hiphop. Their combination of Samoan heritage and American iconography influenced many groups that followed.
Samoans abroad have achieved some musical renown. The Boo-Yaa TRIBE had a brief flirtation with the American mainstream, and the Samoan Sisters found more lasting fame in New Zealand. The shows My Idol and Samoa Star Search became important musical competitions in Samoa. Modern Samoan music shows influence from electrical instruments, jazz, and reggae, and even some house and techno styles.
The Katinas
, who moved to the United States at one point, is another popular Samoan band. It performed at the Junior Youth Christian Program in Melbourne
, Australia
, in 2005.
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
is integral to life in the country. The most important and essential avenue has always been the voice. Singers mourn, rejoice, and reflect every emotion. The past, present, and sometimes the near future are put to song. Everyone sings, despite the cause, despite the situation, and most often, despite one's ability to do so.
Traditional Samoan musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
s included a hollowed-out log (pate
Pate (musical instrument)
A pātē is a Polynesian percussion instrument. It is of the slit drum family, and therefore is also of the idiophone percussion family. It is made from a hollowed-out log, and produces a distinctive and loud sound...
) and a fala, a rolled-up mat; both, beaten with sticks, were idiophone
Idiophone
An idiophone is any musical instrument which creates sound primarily by way of the instrument's vibrating, without the use of strings or membranes. It is the first of the four main divisions in the original Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification...
s, which often accompanied choral singing
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
. Another idiophone, a soundingboard
Sounding board
A sound board, or soundboard, is the surface of a string instrument that the strings vibrate against, usually via some sort of bridge. The resonant properties of the sound board and the interior of the instrument greatly increase loudness over the string alone.The sound board operates by the...
, sometimes accompanied the solo recitation of poetry. A conch shell was blown for signaling. Amusement for small groups and individuals in private was afforded by a jaw harp, a raft panpipe, and a nose-blown flute
Nose flute
The nose flute is a popular musical instrument played in Polynesia and the Pacific Rim countries. Other versions are found in Africa, China, and India.- Hawaii :In the North Pacific, in the Hawaiian islands the nose flute was a common courting instrument...
.
A musical or theatrical presentation celebrating a special event in which performance groups alternate in an attempt to outdo each others' efforts has come to be called a fiafia
Fiafia
The word "fiafia" is used in the Pacific islands, such as Samoa and Tonga. It has many meanings such as "celebration," "Get-together," or "happy"....
. It is often a hotel performance, in which dances now called siva Samoa
Siva Samoa
Siva Samoa is the Samoan term for a Samoan dance.Traditional Samoan dancing is one area of the culture that has been the least affected bywestern civilisation...
and sasa
Sasa
Sasa may refer to: menina linda com pernas jeitosas ;)* Samoan Sasa* Saša, a given name* Sasa - a genus of bamboo* Sasa, Israel - a kibbutz in Galilee, Israel* Sa'sa' - a Palestinian village, depopulated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war....
are performed.
"America Samoa", a song with words by Mariota Tiumalu Tuiasosopo
Mariota Tiumalu Tuiasosopo
Mariota Tiumalu Tuiasosopo was the author of Amerika Samoa, the national anthem of American Samoa....
and music by Napoleon Andrew Tuiteleleapaga
Napoleon Andrew Tuiteleleapaga
Napoleon A. Tuiteleleapaga was a prominent figure of the both Western and American Samoan culture, a lawyer and musician.-Early life:...
, has been the official territorial anthem of American Samoa since 1950. "The Banner of Freedom
The Banner of Freedom
The Banner of Freedom is the national anthem of Samoa. Both the words and the music were composed by Sauni Iiga Kuresa. Samoa adopted The Banner of Freedom as its national anthem upon gaining its independence from New Zealand in 1962.Samoan version:The Banner of Freedom is the national anthem of...
," a song that honors the flag of Samoa
Flag of Samoa
The flag of Samoa was adopted on February 24, 1949. It consists of a red field with a blue rectangle in the canton. The blue rectangle bears the Southern Cross Constellation: four large white stars and one smaller star.-Historical flags:...
, has been the national anthem of Samoa since 1962; it was composed by Sauni Iiga Kuresa.
Post-European contact
With the introduction of Christianity, especially after the arrival of LMSLMS
LMS may refer to:* Lady Manners School, a seventeenth century comprehensive school in Bakewell, England.* Lancaster Mennonite School, a school located in Lancaster, PA.* Last man standing , a gametype featured in several computer and video games...
missionaries in 1830, the music of Samoa was greatly influenced by Western evangelical hymnody and popular music, particularly North American
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
popular music. Two stringed instruments quickly became commonplace in the islands: the guitar (kitara) and in the early twentieth century the 'ukulele. By the end of the nineteenth century, European-style brass bands had come into existence in the major towns.
As Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
took root in the islands, late in the 19th century, ancient songs, accompanied by the percussive sound of sticks beating on a rolled mat, gave way to church choirs singing to the harmonies of pedaled organs. Later still, radio transmissions brought more variety, as local artists and audiences embraced each wave of "new" music. The arrival of U.S. Marines during World War II helped solidify the affinity for American popular music. Many earlier bands copied or imitated this music—a trend that continues. It is common practice and well accepted for Samoan musicmakers to take a Western song, replace the lyrics with Samoan words, and reintroduce the tune as an original. The guitar and 'ukulele became the usual instruments for composing and performing music. That sound is now often replaced by the electronic keyboard and the multiplex of sounds and faux instruments available with it. Many current Samoan musicians "upgrade" old Samoan tunes with new technology, or imitate and copy American popular music.
Modern music
Modern pop and rock have a large audience in Samoa, as do several indigenous bands, which have abandoned most elements of Samoan traditional music, though there are folksy performers. Some pop musicians in New Zealand learned new dance styles on a trip to the islands of Samoa, an important early node in transmitting and translating U.S street dance to Aotearoa. Recently, the Samoan population has seen a resurgence of old Samoan songs, remixed in the style of Hawaiian reggae, but with some traditional elements, such as the use of the pate and the chord structure still in use. New Zealand continues to produce modern popular Samoan stars, such as Jamoa JamJamoa Jam
Jamoa Jam are an Auckland Polynesian vocal quartetSam Tu'uga produces the Samoan four-piece girl group Pacific Soul.-Discography:...
and Pacific Soul
Pacific Soul
Pacific Soul is a four piece female Polynesian pop band created and produced by Sam Tu'uga of Jamoa Jam.-History:They formed in Auckland, New Zealand in 2001 and have released two albums. The original members consist of Sara-Jane Auva'a, Julie Ta'ale, Sharleen Leaso, and Maopa Lomavita. In 2003,...
. Even traditional hymns (pese lotu) have seen a fair amount of change. Some pop bands, such as the RSA Band and the Mount Vaea Band, are associated with hotels; some hotel bands have toured in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
and elsewhere. Pop musicians include the Lole, Golden Ali'is, The Five Stars
The Five Stars
The Fives Stars is one of the best known bands from Samoa, and a popular band known in the Polynesian community.-History:Formed in 1974 the Five Stars were mainly a family outfit. They consisted of brothers Alofa and Solomona Tu'uga and their relatives Samu Poulava-Selesele, Faifua Fa'atoe and...
, and Jerome Gray, whose "We Are Samoa" remains an unofficial national anthem
National anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
. A Samoan group called Le Pasefika, going against the current trend by playing only old music, has become the hottest-selling Samoan group in the United States.
The nearly three decades of Samoan involvement in street dance
Street dance
Street dance, more formally known as vernacular dance, is an umbrella term used to describe dance styles that evolved outside of dance studios in any available open space such as streets, dance parties, block parties, parks, school yards, raves, and nightclubs, etc...
and rap music in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
has significantly affected cultural production in places where Samoans settled, particularly New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. In the early 1980s, Footsoulijah, four Samoan performers from Wellington, credit the Blue City Strutters, who later became the hip-hop group Boo-Yah T.R.I.B.E, for spreading their lifelong interest in street dance and their eventual gravitation towards hiphop. Footsoulijah is animated and colorful, and always perform in camouflage fatigues, which represent their militaristic name. The group composed the anthem "Represent for My People," which includes the chorus "Always represent for my peoples / Pacific islanders of foreign soil / style lethal / take a look as we enter the next chapter / flip the script / Polynesian is my flavour."
There is currently a dichotomy between old and new in cultural aspects of Samoan life, especially dance. Some assert, "Whereas Samoan music has adopted guitars and other musical instruments, dance, which relies solely upon the performers body (with some exceptions—fire dance, knife dance, etc) still requires the performer to retain grace and move their arms and hands in the approved fashion" but a National Geographic article from 1985 shows a "juxtaposition of 'tradition' and 'modernity' with two markedly different photographs of Samoan youth." One photograph has a Samoan child in traditional garb, dancing in a traditional way; the other shows a youth dressed in typical hiphop-style dancing.
Like other Samoans, Kosmo, one of the most famous Samoan hip-hop artists, picked up his dance moves while living in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He integrated a combination of a bit of strutting, a little boogaloo
Boogaloo
Boogaloo or bugalú is a genre of Latin music and dance that was popular in the United States in the 1960s. Boogaloo originated in New York City among teenage Cubans, Puerto Ricans and other groups. The style was a fusion of popular African American R&B and soul with mambo and son montuno...
and popping
Popping
Popping is a street dance and one of the original funk styles that came from California during the 1960s-70s. It is based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit...
, and some tutting
Tutting
Tutting is a contemporary abstract interpretive street dance style modeled after Egyptian hieroglyphics. The term Tutting is derived from the name of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun...
into his music. He learned the dance while staying with family in Carson, a community that drew large numbers of Samoans relocating from the islands in the 1950s-70s. As he discovered, popping and other 'street dance' forms thoroughly saturated the lives of Samoan youth growing up in the late 1970s and early 80s in Carson and neighboring Compton and Long Beach. He vividly remembers, "all the coolest cats was poppin' down at [Carson's] Scott Park." When he returned to New Zealand, his vocabulary brought him prestige among his peers, most of whom tried to integrate dance moves from movies. "Kosmo didn’t consider himself any good until he returned to New Zealand. . . . Here they were just doing the basics, he knew more." For young artists, this hiphop-oriented form of dancing was not only a way to express oneself creatively, but also a powerful sexual tool: “For young men, dance skills also helped to attract the young women who were always present either as critical audience or fellow dancers. As Kosmo recalls, “All the poppers got the girls,” highlighting another case of dance as an equalizing sexual power tool utilized by both sexes in global hip hop. In 1990, Kosmo and two fellow Samoans created The Mau, a hiphop group named for the organization that pushed for Samoan independence under the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and New Zealand colonial administrations. Although the name was rooted in Samoan history, it demonstrates U.S. influences. Similar to the movement of black consciousness in America, the motto for the Mau movement in Samoa was Samoa Mo Samoa 'Samoa
Samoa
Samoa , officially the Independent State of Samoa, formerly known as Western Samoa is a country encompassing the western part of the Samoan Islands in the South Pacific Ocean. It became independent from New Zealand in 1962. The two main islands of Samoa are Upolu and one of the biggest islands in...
for Samoans
Samoans
The Samoan people are a Polynesian ethnic group of the Samoan Islands, sharing genetics, language, history and culture. Due to colonialism, the home islands are politically and geographically divided between the country of Samoa, official name Independent State of Samoa ; and American Samoa, an...
'. The group continued to articulate a diasporic Samoan cultural nationalism by drawing upon their knowledge of Samoan history, as well as the popular stories of the Black Power movement presently circulating in American hiphop. Their combination of Samoan heritage and American iconography influenced many groups that followed.
Samoans abroad have achieved some musical renown. The Boo-Yaa TRIBE had a brief flirtation with the American mainstream, and the Samoan Sisters found more lasting fame in New Zealand. The shows My Idol and Samoa Star Search became important musical competitions in Samoa. Modern Samoan music shows influence from electrical instruments, jazz, and reggae, and even some house and techno styles.
International
Samoa has produced well-known artists. The band Past To Present / Ilanda (1990–2006) (which consisted of three Samoans and one Māori: Frank Laga'aia, Lennie Keller, Norman Keller & Leighton Hema; Hema later left the band) gained popularity and commercial success in Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States; its achievement has not yet been equaled by any other islander band. In 2006, it was still in the music industry, touring, recording, or producing, as in its last production of Australia's "Young Divas." A band with a similar career path and success was Kulcha, based in Sydney, which produced two albums but disbanded after a couple of years.The Katinas
The Katinas
The Katinas are a Contemporary Christian music group. The family of five brothers hails from American Samoa, and moved to Washington, USA after the death of their mother in 1988. The group's members sang in church as children, and began playing fairs, soon moving up to nationwide slots opening for...
, who moved to the United States at one point, is another popular Samoan band. It performed at the Junior Youth Christian Program in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in 2005.
External links
- American Folklife Center's American Samoa page, from the Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
- The Katinas