Pacific Islands Radio (Island Music) Newsletter

Jane's Pacific Islands Radio Newsletter (Island Music)
Vol. 6, Edition No.9, October 2006
http://www.pacificislandsradio.com/

I N T H I S I S S U E ____________________________

Objectives
News and Views
Feature Artists
Notice Board
Coming Events
Pacific Islands Radio
Island Music Suppliers
Links
Letters
It's Time To Chat!

T H E V I E W _____________________________________
Pacific Islands Radio (Island Music) News and Views

Welcome everybody to our Newsletter
for October 2006! It is certainly great to
be back in touch with you all again and,
as always, I would very much like to take
this wonderful opportunity to sincerely
wish everybody good health, prosperity,
happiness, peace and harmony.

In addition, I would very much like to
convey my heartfelt thanks to all, our
valued members, who have taken the
time to write, and for sharing with us
all. In this respect, your welcome and
most appreciated messages and
contributions are greatly valued.

Please join with me in extending a
very warm and sincere Pacific Island
welcome to, once again, the incredible
and fantastic number of new members
who have joined us since our last
Newsletter! Thank you so very much!

I would sincerely like to welcome you
on board! Please make yourselves feel
at home, relax and enjoy the music! May
you also find your stay and time with us
to be enjoyable, mutually beneficial and
most rewarding!

OBJECTIVES

This Newsletter is a listening guide to
the many wonderful listeners of our
Internet Pacific Islands Radio Stations.
http://www.pacificislandsradio.com/index.htm

In addition, the Newsletter will focus on
issues relating to Pacific Island music. It
also embraces some of the exciting changes
taking place in the Internet Radio Revolution,
as well as updated information on our Pacific
Island Artists, Programming and Playlists.

NEWS AND VIEWS

In this edition of our Jane's Pacific Islands
Radio (Island Music) Newsletter, it will be
my great pleasure to be able to spend a little
time discussing the relationship between the
traditional music and dance forms of Oceania
with particular reference to the beautiful
Hawaiian hula.

In this respect there is often some confusion
as to which comes first, the music or the dance.
In a general sense it is fair to say that the
music, in the absence of any written language,
was one of the primary means by which much of
the cultural heritage of island people was
passed from one generation to the next.
Indeed the origins of traditional music are
generally quite obscure with the music having
been handed down by older folk to the younger
children. Composing traditional music involves
a considerable amount of ritualism and magic.

The composer does not compose the music
himself, but rather the song or songs are given
to the composers in a mythical setting - possibly
in a dream or a trance. The task of the composer
is then to follow the secret methodology that
his/her predecessors had passed on to him/her
to produce a song that is regarded as being
magically blessed.

In addition to traditional forms of music, the
second method of composing songs is one which
involves no magic and results from somebody
wishing to have a song made for him. In this
case, the person tells the story to be told to
the composer who listens intently and full of
concentration. At a later time, the composer
may ask for further information and the person
requesting the song must provide all the needed
details. The most commonly composed songs of this
nature are love songs. These are often about love
for someone you will never see again or a place
that you have left behind.

The most popular ones, however, are about love
between a boy and a girl, a man and a woman or
a husband and a wife.

The Polynesians are natural musicians and the
Samoans are no exception. They love to hear and
sing good music. Robert Louis Stevenson once said
that the Samoans composed a song for every trivial
occasion. . . Song is almost endless. The boatman
sings at the oar, the family at evening worship,
and the workman at his toil. No occasion is too
small for the poets and the musicians; a death, a
visit, the day's news and pleasantries will be set
to rhyme and harmony.

In this context, the dance forms resulting from the
music becomes an exciting visual and artistic
interpretation of this cultural heritage, including
love songs, conveyed by the music. Older style dancing
motions are slow, swaying and interpretive. Chants
and old poems are sung and recited on special
occasions. They are often referred to in speeches
and debates. They are also used to figure the time
of past historical events. The faataupati (clapping
in syncopation dance) is accompanied by ancient
war songs and drums.

Ancient and modern Samoan dances do not
use songs in three-four tempo. Most of the
songs composed for single or group dancers
are in four-four and two-four tempos. Drums
have often been used to accompany the
ancient dancers.

The early Tuvaluans, untouched by western
influences and aspirations, highly valued their
traditional singing and dancing. Apart from
simply providing entertainment, the fakanau
and fakaseasea, which were formerly very
popular form for dance, were composed to
commemorate the reign of an aliki or toa,
or to praise certain outstanding figures for
their skills in canoe building, fishing, house
building or for their wealth or bravery within
the community.

The fakanau which has a tune that is
between speech and singing was performed
while dancers are standing on their feet.
The rhythm of the fakanau is much quicker
than those of the fakaseasea and the present
day fatele. With the arrival of the
missionaries, because of the wide swaying
movements and actions required in the fakanau
were considered to be sexually stimulating,
efforts were made to put an end to this
kind of dancing. At first it was difficult,
but as more and more people came to accept
the new religious beliefs the pastors
became powerful and influential figures
who ultimately dominated the rights of the
aliki. Because of this the fakanau, which
the pastors regarded as evil dancing,
gradually declined until it disappeared
completely.

The fakaseasea is said to be as old as the
fakanau. This type of dancing is still
performed nowadays by elders. Unlike the
fakanau, the fakaseasea is sung much slower
to a lovely tune and has one or two
performers dancing on their feet. Normally
the fakaseasea requires no uniformity of
actions but the performers are free to make
actions which express the meanings of the
words. The survival of the fakaseasea up to
the present time is due to the fact that the
first pastors, fascinated by the lovely tune
and the gentle slow actions of the fakaseasea,
did not do anything to stop people from
performing it. However, in the early days the
unique fakanau did not only play an important
part in social entertainment but also in
worshipping. The faleaitu (house for gods) in
which the people worshipped their gods is
where one could hear different rituals and
fakanau. There were specially composed
fakanau which could convey to the gods the
worshippers' gratitude together with pleas for
mercy. During communal work such as digging
of pulaka pits the women sang and danced on
the banks while the men were busy digging.
In this way singing and dancing encouraged the
men and stopped them from getting tired easily.

Robert Louis Stevenson also wrote of Kiribati
Mwaie (Ruoia) that was performed on Butaritari:
"Of all they call dance in the Pacific, the
performance I saw on Butaritari was easily the
best...Gilbertese dance appeals to the soul: it
makes one thrill with emotion, it uplifts one, it
conquers one: it has the essence of all great art:
an immediate and far from exhausted appeal".

In Hawaii, traditional chants fall into two broad
categories referred to as mele oli and mele hula.
Before the arrival of Europeans in Hawai'i, the
term mele was used to mean "poetic language;"
it has since evolved to mean song. In early
Hawai'i, there was no melodic singing. Special
bards, or haku mele, spent years learning to
compose, recite and teach others to perform
the ancient chants, beginning their training
while still children.

Mele oli are chants unaccompanied by any
instrument that are generally performed by
one individual; while mele hula are chants
accompanied by dance or by dance and
musical instruments. Mele hula are often
performed by more than one person. Indeed,
there are dozens of kinds of chants, formal
and informal for specific occasions: mele pule
or prayer chants; mele inoa, an individual's
name chant; mele koihonua, which recounts
a person's genealogy; mele he'e nalu, a surfing
chant. There were chants of angst, chants to
grumble or praise, chants of affection, chants
to make a request of someone.

The power (mana) of a chant, lies in its
hidden meanings, or kaona. Hidden meanings,
such as rain as a metaphor for love, could
make a chant both a recounting of an actual
event within a family's history, or it could
tell of the love and passion that one person
might feel for another, depending on who
heard and understood the chant.

As the missionary influence became stronger
in the islands and the use of the Hawaiian
language was forbidden in public schools
in 1896, the art of chanting diminished and
indeed, many of the old chants have sadly
been lost forever. Fortunately, in the last
decade, a renaissance of pride in the
Hawaiian culture and the rebirth of the
Hawaiian language through immersion
classes for youngsters have brought
about a revival of chanting.

Unfortunately, in Hawaii, as in much of the
Pacific, the missionaries also did their best
to destroy the native dance forms, and, in
particular, the "lewd and lascivious Hawaii
hula". But they wrote detailed accounts of
the dances in their diaries, and these,
ironically, have provided a basis for the
current revival of the ancient and beautiful
hula.

In this context it is certainly pleasing to
see that Kulia i ka Punawai--Kumu Hula
Association of Southern California (a
non-profit organization of kumu hula--master
hula instructors--dedicated to perpetuation
of hula) has produced a new and exciting CD .
Titled "Kalakaua," the CD presents
contemporary settings of historical poetic
repertoire that honours Hawai'i's King David
Kalakaua. The centrepiece is a set of 15 mele
composed for Kalakaua's Birthday Jubilee in
1886, and published in the Hawaiian-language
newspapers. The CD contains the work of
some twelve award-winning kumu hula who
live and teach throughout Southern California.
Every one of the 15 mele is by a different
kumu hula, and the finale of the set, as well
as one other track on the CD, are mass numbers
in which all kumu hula participated. All texts
and translations are included with the CD, as
well as a historical essay. The CD should be
available through Amazon.com and also even
iTunes. In the mean time you are invited to
visit Punawai's temporary website at
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/punawai

It is certainly worth mentioning that this project
represents unprecedented collaborative effort
of hula practice and scholarly research. The
scale of historical reconstruction exceeds
anything undertaken to date. The results are
indeed a remarkable testament to the strength
and depth of the tradition of the magnificent
Hawaii hula in the 21st century.

ASPECTS OF OCEANIA

For those of us who have an interest in the
origins of our Oceania people and, in this
context, the development of traditional music
and dance throughout the Pacific Islands,
you are invited to visit the following recently
updated Web site:
http://www.janesoceania.com/oceania_aspects/index.htm

FEATURE ARTISTS

VAVESSA QUAI

Vanessa Quai's new CD "Transformation"
represents another significant milestone
in the amazing career of this most talented
and gifted young artist from Vanuatu. The
album provides a pleasing mix of musical
styles and presentations all of which contain
the personal stamp of a maturing Vanessa Quai.

"Vocals on all tracks by Vanessa Quai,
backing vocals by Vanessa Quai and Christine
Quai. Additional backing vocals by Manoa Toa
on tracks 4 and 6 and Allan Paul on track 8. Rap
and duet vocals by Stephen 'Stacky' Ani on
track 10. Additional French raga on track 2 by
Moli Toa. Keyboards and programming by
Jimmie Malasikoto. Bass by Norman Kalkua,
Guitars by George Gero. Additional guitars on
track 7 by Danny Tetiano. Additional guitars
and programming by Craig Ross".

One particularly interesting track,
"My Journey", was especially composed and
presented by Vanessa herself, and tells of
her amazing journey through her most
remarkable musical career.

Recorded at Tropik Zound Studio, Port Villa,
Vanuatu, I humbly feel that, once you have
listened to the tracks on this particular CD,
you will no doubt agree with me that this
exceptional album will be embraced, treasured
and enjoyed by Vanessa's many fans around
the world. Vanessa's new CD "Transformation"
is also being proudly played on our Pacific
Islands Radio stations.

GULAAN

From Mare (Nengone, in the local language)
in New Caledonia, Edouard Wamejo, former
lead singer of Ok Ryos, recently decided to
take his Nengone first name in public use:
Gulaan (to be pronounced Goulane) is a
nickname of Gui nedr. For Gulaan it was a
coming back to his roots point of view in
terms of his musical expression.

In this context. he has approached his first
album in a very simple way, utilising acoustic
6 and 12 string guitars. These flow smoothly
all through the album supported by creative
percussions and some solid drums and bass
kanak grooves. Most impressive, however, is
Gulaan's powerful voice and the intricate
harmonies he performs.

The music of Gulaan comes from the heart
when he sings in both English and French, of
the feel of the life in the paradise of Mare,
the importance of the sea in tribal life, the
annexation of New Caledonia by France in
1853, along with more personal songs such as
a moving song about his father and an apology
to his mother. The music of Gulaan is certainly
recommended for those who enjoy beautiful
Pacific Island music composed and sung from
the heart.
* * * * * * * * * *
NOTICE BOARD

OCEANIA MESSAGE FORUMS

I am very pleased to be able to say that,
in addition to our main Oceania Guest Book,
additional Forums have been introduced to
all Web sites of the main islands and islets
of the Pacific, as well as personalities,
along with our Pacific Islands Radio Web sites:
http://pub47.bravenet.com/forum/4004922603

As you are no doubt aware, these Forums
have been most beneficial in bringing together
many people with an interest in and a love of
the beautiful and enchanting music of the
Pacific Islands. You are cordially invited to
share your valuable and important thoughts
and opinions with us all.

Recent additions also include the Web
sites for Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Republic
of Nauru, Republic of the Marshall
Islands, Tonga, Tokelau, Easter Island,
New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Papua New
Guinea, Cook Islands and Pitcairn Island,
Niue, as well as our Oceania Postcards
and Picture Galleries - and many more!
Thank you.

COMING EVENTS

THE THIRD ANNUAL SOUTH
PACIFIC MUSIC FESTIVAL -
NOVEMBER 22 - 25, 2006

Described as a musical safari through
the islands, the Third South Pacific
Music Festival to be held on Savusavu,
Fiji between November 22 - 25, 2006, will
feature a roster of the best South Pacific
musical and dance performers. Each night
attendees will travel to different venues to
enjoy the islands' top performers, including
indigenous South Pacific Islands musicians
from various South Pacific Islands, including
Fiji, Hawaii, Vanuatu, Tahiti, the Solomon
Islands and New Zealand. Each night will
offer a different experience with different
performers - but all will highlight the top
musical performers hailing from around
the islands, performing under the starry,
tropical skies!

Apart from performances at the South
Pacific Music Festival venues, there will
be a free public festival in Savusavu which
will also feature crafts, meke, and other
exciting activities.

During each day, a different agenda is
planned - waterfall treks, kayaking,
snorkelling, cruising and much more.
This year's festival is filled with the
colours, sounds, and sights that make
the South Pacific Islands such a magical,
musical experience.

For more information on the Third Annual
South Pacific Music Festival, you are
cordially invited to visit the following
Web site:
http://www.fijiresort.com/SavusavuMusicFest06.shtml
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Coming Events" outlines some of the
many events on our musical and dancing
calendar throughout the year hence the
inclusion in our monthly Pacific Islands
Radio Newsletter (Island Music).

As valued members of our Pacific Islands
Radio Newsletter, you are invited to share
any of your most welcome thoughts and
great ideas about Pacific Island musical
events/festivals, etc. that you feel should
be shared and enjoyed by all our members.
I humbly feel that our members would
greatly appreciate your kind gesture in
sharing this very useful information with us.
Thank you so much!

PACIFIC ISLANDS RADIO

I would like to mention, in response
to some of the e-mails and messages that
I have received, from those wonderful
people who would like to listen to our
beautiful Pacific Island music, but
unfortunately are unable to actually
listen to the music.

Basically, it is quite easy to access and
enjoy Pacific Islands Radio. Once you
have accessed the page, it is most
necessary to firstly log on, in order to
be able to listen to the music. The process
of being able to log on can be achieved
by providing your username and password
before clicking on the yellow 'Play' button
provided on the centre of the page.
Good Luck and Enjoy!

In addition, the many listeners who would
like to purchase the music played on our
Pacific Islands Radio Stations, in CD
format, can obtain details of recommended
suppliers by clicking on Artists' Profiles
on Pacific Islands Radio Home Page:
www.pacificislandsradio.com

Pacific Islands Radio continues to offer a
range of broadcasting formats in order to
allow a wide range of listeners to enjoy
our beautiful island music.

STATIONS

Our Pacific Islands Radio Stations play the
enchanting music of the Pacific Islands 24
hours daily.
www.pacificislandsradio.com
http://www.pacificislandsradio.com/index.htm
http://www.janeresture.com/radio/index.htm

TWO FREE INTERNET RADIO STATIONS:
(See News and Views August/September 2006)

Pacific Islands Radio
http://www.live365.com/stations/janeresture

Radio Melanesia
http://www.live365.com/stations/janeres

VIP PREFERRED MEMBERS -
PAYING MEMBERS
(See News and Views August/September 2006)

Pacific Music Radio (mp3PRO)
http://www.live365.com/stations/drjaneresture

Micronesia Music Radio
http://www.live365.com/stations/jane_resture

PACIFIC ISLAND MUSIC SUPPLIERS

The following are some of the main specialist
suppliers of our music from the Pacific
Islands, which are now being used and are
highly recommended by Pacific Islands Radio.

KING MUSIC -
AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

Kingmusic offers a wide selection of Pacific
Island music which is available on the Internet.
http://www.kingmusic.co.nz/

ISLANDMELODY.COM

Pacific Islands Radio would like to recommend
Islandmelody.com for a selection of traditional
and contemporary music with an emphasis on
Micronesian music.
http://www.islandmelody.com

BWANARAOI MUSIC SHOP -
TARAWA, REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI

For Kiribati music, along with music from
other Pacific Islands and elsewhere, you
are invited to contact the following
exclusive distributor:

Bwanaraoi Music Shop
Republic of Kiribati
Phone/Fax (686) 28236
E-mail: angirota@tskl.net.ki

LINKS

WELCOME TO THE MUSIC
ARCHIVE OF THE PACIFIC

The Music Archive for the Pacific has
been established by the Southern Cross
University, Lismore, Australia. for the
main purpose of providing a collection
of recordings of indigenous music, related
books, journals, musical instruments and
art works to interested persons for
research purposes.

The archive covers the music of the
indigenous people of Australia (incl. Torres
Strait), Papua New Guinea (incl. Bougainville),
New Zealand as well as the nations of the
Pacific Islands - Cook Islands, Easter Island,
Fiji, Hawaii, Nauru, New Caledonia,
Rarotonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tahiti,
Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/arts/music/musicarchive/ArchiveHome.html

MUSIC ARCHIVE FOR THE PACIFIC
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/arts/music/musicarchive/ArchiveArchive.html

************************
LETTERS

The following are extracts from a few
interesting and most welcome letters that I
have recently received about our four Pacific
Islands Radio Stations, our artists and music.
In this respect, it is my great pleasure to be
able to share these letters with you all as I
find them to be most uplifting, supportive,
motivating and encouraging. They also provide
much needed feedback in order to continuously
monitor and enhance the quality of the service
provided by Pacific Islands Radio.

Please join with me in thanking these wonderful
people for sharing their kind thoughts with us
all.
*************
Hello Jane
Thanks for taking the time to bring some great
music to Northern California (Sonoma County).
I have you Bookmarked.

Jane, I think your web site is wonderful. I
also like the music. Hopefully, one day I will
be able to visit the beautiful islands you show
so well. --- from Massachusetts, USA

Hello Jane
I like your website very much especially on
Hawaii and Tahiti, I find the picture postcards
very interesting to look at of Tahiti and Hawaii
of old, and of the hula and tamure, and of
course of the Hawaiian and Tahitian maidens.
The hula and tamure interest me very much, I
have many cds of Hawaiian and Tahitian music
and videos of hula and tamure being performed
in Hawaii and Tahiti.

Hi, Jane.
I really enjoy the Pacific islands Radio
Music. I am from the Marshall Islands,
came to US some 30 years ago and
listening to the Islands music bring
back so many memories. Thank you
so much. Buffalo, NY

Hello Jane
This is -- in East County, San Diego, I'm
listening to your station and wondering
about a room mate I had at Drury College
in Springfield, Missouri. His name is Asora
Mesitia-last name phonetically-mee-see-
eye-ta. He should be in his 50's now. Can
you help?
(Reply: Yes, of course, we would love to
help. Thank you)

Hello, Jane
I am captivated by the melody played in
the Suva, Fiji Islands Web site with the
Central Resort Pacific Harbour listing a link
to your site.
I often play the melody simply alone for its
beauty during the day and often display the
pictures on the monitor to my students as
part of Social Studies.
Where can name of the melody be found
and a little about its composition and
instrumentation?

Kia orana, my name is Titia Vaerua. Can
you please play a Cook Island Song or
Tahitian song. I am now listening to your
station in Wellington.Thanks

Kia orana, can you please play another
Cook Island Song - we are both listening
to your station here in Wellington.

Yokwe Jane.
First i wanna give thanks 2 our God 4
everything. Hrmm, Love ur station and
i was wondering if u could play 2 of ma
songs, it's an island style and is an old
kind 2day beat. So let me know what u
think. Oh by the way, i'm Marshallese
and i'm from New York up state. ThanQ
much.
*************
IT'S TIME TO CHAT

Our Chat Rooms are always available for
online chatting between parties and can be
accessed via Jane's Oceania Home Page:
http://www.janeresture.com or the URLs:
http://pub18.bravenet.com/chat/show.php/1489671900
http://pub32.bravenet.com/chat/show.php/2702076781

COMMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS

Your valuable contributions and comments
are always most welcome and they can be
sent to me at:
jane@pacificislandsradio.com

Thank you so much everybody for your
very kind support and for being such
important and valuable members of
our Pacific Islands Radio (Island Music)
Community.

As always, let us all hope for continuing
greater peace and harmony, good health,
prosperity and happiness, for everybody!
I wish you all the very best and please
take care!

May our God bless us all and, as usual,
I look forward to the pleasure of your
company next time!

Jane Resture