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Music of Samoa
The music of Samoa is a complex mix of cultures and traditions, with pre- and post-European contact histories. Since American colonization, popular traditions such as rap and hip hop have been integrated into Samoan music.
Traditional Samoan musical instruments includes several different distinctive instruments, including a fala, which is a rolled-up mat beaten with sticks and several types of slit drum.
Traditional Samoan musical instruments included a fala, which is a rolled-up mat beaten with sticks. It is an idiophone 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.
Samoan wooden slit drums and variants have been used throughout Samoa for over a thousand years. There are many uses for these wooden drums, including calling village meetings, in times of war and peace, songs/chants and dance, and signalling long distances in inter-island naval warfare. In recent times they are used predominantly for calling chiefly and royal ceremonies as well as contemporary religious practices.
The five Samoan slit drum variants from largest to smallest are:
1) Logo - felled trees - largest of the drums - The logo can only be played by being struck from the side, for instance by sliding the beater or very large log-like playing stick across the top of the drums to hit the slit lip on the other side. The logo was used to announce the king of Samoa, high chiefs and monarchy in times of old. The logo was also used to announce attacks and signals during times of war see re: Samoan Civil War, the Fijian Wars and also the Tongan Wars. Samoa also has recorded historical records of lesser known battles with neighbouring islands of Manono, Pukapuka, Tokelau, Tuamotu and Rarotonga, these battles may be classed as independent isolated skirmishes and inter-Island skirmishes between large familial klan groups.
2) 2 x Lali - large drum - The Lali are always played in pairs by two drummers. One of them beats the larger of the two, this is called the Tatasi, the other drummer plays the smaller Lali in the rhythmic pattern called the Talua. Both slit drums are played with sticks called Auta. The Lali were said to be introduced from Fiji via Tonga before European discovery..
3) Talipalau . The Talipalau skin drum was introduced to Samoa from east Polynesia in the 1800s, possibly as a result of early missionary society activities in both regions.
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Music of Samoa
The music of Samoa is a complex mix of cultures and traditions, with pre- and post-European contact histories. Since American colonization, popular traditions such as rap and hip hop have been integrated into Samoan music.
Traditional Samoan musical instruments includes several different distinctive instruments, including a fala, which is a rolled-up mat beaten with sticks and several types of slit drum.
Traditional Samoan musical instruments included a fala, which is a rolled-up mat beaten with sticks. It is an idiophone 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.
Samoan wooden slit drums and variants have been used throughout Samoa for over a thousand years. There are many uses for these wooden drums, including calling village meetings, in times of war and peace, songs/chants and dance, and signalling long distances in inter-island naval warfare. In recent times they are used predominantly for calling chiefly and royal ceremonies as well as contemporary religious practices.
The five Samoan slit drum variants from largest to smallest are:
1) Logo - felled trees - largest of the drums - The logo can only be played by being struck from the side, for instance by sliding the beater or very large log-like playing stick across the top of the drums to hit the slit lip on the other side. The logo was used to announce the king of Samoa, high chiefs and monarchy in times of old. The logo was also used to announce attacks and signals during times of war see re: Samoan Civil War, the Fijian Wars and also the Tongan Wars. Samoa also has recorded historical records of lesser known battles with neighbouring islands of Manono, Pukapuka, Tokelau, Tuamotu and Rarotonga, these battles may be classed as independent isolated skirmishes and inter-Island skirmishes between large familial klan groups.
2) 2 x Lali - large drum - The Lali are always played in pairs by two drummers. One of them beats the larger of the two, this is called the Tatasi, the other drummer plays the smaller Lali in the rhythmic pattern called the Talua. Both slit drums are played with sticks called Auta. The Lali were said to be introduced from Fiji via Tonga before European discovery..
3) Talipalau . The Talipalau skin drum was introduced to Samoa from east Polynesia in the 1800s, possibly as a result of early missionary society activities in both regions.