tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30674247215695515832024-03-07T22:55:17.424-08:00Janes Restures Oceania BlogJane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-69383645377592742902012-06-05T17:55:00.002-07:002012-06-05T18:06:30.106-07:00The Pacific Ocean - About More Garbage<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<div class="cN-headingPage articleHeading prepend-5 span-11 last">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">The Pacific Ocean - About More Garbage </span></div>
<div class="cN-headingPage articleHeading prepend-5 span-11 last">
<br /></div>
<div class="cN-headingPage articleHeading prepend-5 span-11 last">
<span style="font-size: large;">The Great Pacific Garbage Patch mentioned in my previous blog has sadly been joined by garbage from the Japanese tsunami. This garbage joins this ocean of debris, including basketball shoes, ice hockey gloves, a motorbike, golf clubs, and a football belonging to a Japanese schoolboy These are just some of the estimated 4.8 million tonnes of debris swept into the sea by the terrible tsunami in Japan, bits of which have already washed up on the shores of Alaska and Canada.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="push-0 span-11 last" sizcache08119625187190427="28" sizset="33">
<div class="articleBody">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Around two-thirds of it sank off the coast of Japan, but the rest is now drifting across the Pacific towards North America, stretching across an estimated 6300 kilometres of ocean. Much of it will swirl around for ever in the fabled garbage patch in the north Pacific.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">The problem with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is that it's hard to spot. Most of it consists of tiny bits of plastic, forming a thin and constantly shifting film on the surface of the ocean. Garbage patchologists say it's twice the size of Texas, and has been likened to ''a big toilet that never flushes''.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div class="cT-imageLandscape">
<span style="font-size: large;">Indeed, there is little indigenous pollution, yet smaller islands and reefs of Hawaii for example, are littered with fishing lines, bottle tops, Lego pieces, golf tees, plastic bottles, toothbrushes, cigarette lighters, syringes, tyres, petrol cans and plastic dinosaurs, swept there by the currents of the north Pacific subtropical gyre.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="cT-imageLandscape">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The patch formed due to oceanic gyres—rotating systems of ocean currents that have a whirlpool-like effect on debris. In the center, there is very little current, leaving all the plastic stuck in one giant spot. Similar garbage patches have formed in the Atlantic Ocean and in the Southern Hemisphere, although the Pacific Ocean patch is believed to be the largest and most-studied.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="cT-imageLandscape">
<span style="font-size: large;">Experts disagree on where most of the plastic comes from—some have estimated that 80 percent of it comes from land sources, others say more of it is from shipping junk—but they agree there's little the public can currently do about it. While plastic breaks down into smaller pieces, it never fully decomposes, so what's left behind in the ocean is there indefinitely. At the moment it is simply not cost-effective to skim the surface of the ocean to remove this garbage.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">No one can blame the Japanese for the latest surge of garbage, however, for the great tide of crap that is flooding the Pacific, the rest of us will have to carry the can.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.janeresture.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">www.janeresture.com</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.janesoceania.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">www.janesoceania.com</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.ourpacificocean.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">www.ourpacificocean.com</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.janesworldomain.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">www.janesworldomain.com</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.pacificislandsradio.com/"><span style="font-size: large;">www.pacificislandsradio.com</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
</div>Jane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-29497718342318977952012-06-05T17:37:00.002-07:002012-06-05T17:37:23.268-07:00Jane Resture's Re-posted Message: Our Pacific Ocean - About Rubbish<div class="date-posts">
<div class="post-outer">
<div class="post hentry uncustomized-post-template" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/BlogPosting">
<a href="" name="7776648648682070530"></a><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
<a href="http://janeresturesblog.blogspot.com.au/2008/11/our-pacific-ocean-about-rubbish.html">Our Pacific Ocean - About Rubbish</a> </h3>
<div class="post-header">
<div class="post-header-line-1">
</div>
</div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" itemprop="articleBody">
Welcome everybody to Jane's blog where you are invited to share your thoughts and experiences about our beautiful Pacific Ocean. I do not want to start out on a negative note, however, I would like to thank those people who have written in expressing concern about the amount of litter that they have encountered in various parts of the Pacific.These comments are of particular concern in the light of recent reports describing the Pacific Ocean as the world's largest rubbish dump - a vast area of floating plastic debris and other flotsam drifting in the northern Pacific Ocean, held there by swirling ocean currents.<br /><br />Often referred to as the great Pacific garbage patch, it is now alarming some with its ever-growing size and possible impact on human health.The "patch" is, in fact, two huge linked areas of circulating rubbish, stretching from about 500 nautical miles off the coast of California, across the northern Pacific to near the coast of Japan. Almost twice the size as continental United States, the islands of Hawaii are placed almost in the middle, so piles of plastic are regularly washed up on some beaches there. The concentration of floating plastic debris just beneath the ocean's surface is the product of underwater currents, which conspire to bring together all the junk - an estimated 100 million tonnes of plastic - that accumulates in the Pacific Ocean. Studies have indicated that about 20 per cent of the junk is thought to come from marine craft, while the rest originates from countries around the Pacific like Mexico, Australia and China. The waste forms in what are called tropical gyres - areas where the oceans slowly circulate due to extreme high pressure systems and where there is little wind. Historically, flotsam in the gyres has biodegraded..But modern plastics do not break down like other oceanic debris, meaning objects half a century old have been found in the North Pacific Gyre. Rather the plastic slowly photodegrades, becoming brittle and disintegrating into smaller and smaller pieces which enter the food chain and end up in the stomachs of birds and other animals. This is certainly a very sorry state of affairs as the small plastic particles acted like a sponge to trap many dangerous man-made chemicals that found their way into the ocean, like hydrocarbons and DDT. Eventually what goes into the ocean goes into the animals and eventually enters the human food chain exposing people worldwide to possible serious longer term health problems. Indeed syringes, cigarette lighters and tooth brushes from the "patch" have been found inside the carcases of sea birds.<br /><br />The health of our planet depends upon many factors including the health of our vast Pacific Ocean. Certainly, the health of this beautiful Ocean cannot be improved if it continues to be used as nothing more than a convenient garbage dump.<br /><br />You are invited to visit Jane Resture's Oceania Blog at:<br />http://janeresturesoceaniablog.blogspot.com/<br /><br />For further infomation, you are also invited to check out the following Domains:<br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br /><a href="http://www.ourpacificocean.com/">http://www.ourpacificocean.com/</a><br /><a href="http://www.janesworldomain.com/">http://www.janesworldomain.com/</a> </div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" itemprop="articleBody">
<a href="http://www.pacificislandsradio.com/">http://www.pacificislandsradio.com/</a></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>Jane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-20459513801933162152011-03-20T16:48:00.000-07:002011-03-20T17:00:47.462-07:00New Zealand - About ChristchurchWelcome to New Zealand - About Christchurch<br />The Town Imagined<br />Origins to 1852 - and beyond to this day...<br /><br />The earliest human inhabitants of the area now covered by the city of Christchurch - Moa-hunters, or Archaic Phase Eastern Polynesians - probably arrived as early as AD 1000. At that time the coastal wetland was a thick forest of matai and totara, and parts of the Canterbury Plains may also have been forested. As well as killing off the moa (by about 1450), these earliest inhabitants also burned down forest. Any descendants of the Moa-hunters would have been killed or absorbed by migrating classical Phase Maori from the North Island, most notably Ngati Mamoe and Ngai Tahu during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. <br /><br />By the early nineteenth century the Ngai Turahuriri sub-tribe of Ngai Tahu controlled the coastal area between Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere) and the Hurunui river. Their largest fortified pa, at Kaiapoi, may have held as many as a thousand people at its peak and was a major centre for trade in pounamu (greenstone) from the West Coast. Several smaller unfortified kainga, or seasonal settlements, were located within the present city boundaries, most notably at Putaringamotu (Riccarton) and Papanui, where isolated islands of tall forest had survived in a sea of tussock grassland and swamp. <br /><br />Possibly as many as five thousand Maori lived in central Canterbury by 1800, mostly at Kaiapoi and on Banks Peninsula, where the main settlements were at Akaroa, Puari (Port Levy), Purau and Rapaki. The main track between Kaipoi and Rapaki passed through the heart of the present city, following sandy ridges through the swamps which then lay between the two main rivers, Otakaro (Avon) and Opawaho (Heathcote). Putaringamotu in particular was a valuable mahinga kai, or food-gathering place, with an abundance of birds, eels, fish and freshwater crayfish. The Maori name for Christchurch is Otautahi, 'the place of Tautahi', a Ngai Tahu chief who was buried near the present St Luke's Church vicarage around the 1750s. The first Europeans known to set foot in Canterbury were from the sealing ship Governor Bligh, which spent a fortnight in one of the Bays of Banks Peninsula about 1815. But the first to visit the site of what is now Christchurch stayed only long enough to bury one of their shipmates. <br /><br />For further information, you are all invited to click on the Link below:<br /><br />http://www.janesoceania.com/newzealand_christchurch/index.htm<br /><br />Domains:<br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com<br />www.pacificislandsradio.com<br /><br />E-mails:<br />jane@janeresture.com<br />jane@ourpacificocean.com<br />jane@pacificislandsradio.com<br /><br />Further Web sites with relevant URLs are currently under construction for your reading. <br /><br />Thank you all<br />Best wishes<br /><br />Jane RestureJane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-62914783521306115162011-03-09T16:14:00.000-08:002011-03-10T14:44:56.758-08:00Janesoceania.com Domain 100GB Traffic A Week 9/3/11To All My Friends And Visitors,<br /><br />Greetings to all!<br /><br />Just a short note of thanks and appreciation to friends and visitors to all my four Domains and Web pages within those Domains:<br /><br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com <br />www.pacificislandsradio.com <br /><br />I would like to share with you all that, as of yesterday, 9/3/11, Janesoceania.com is, in itself, happily and thankfully experiencing, joining the other 3 Domains above, a visitation traffic in excess of 100GB a week. Thank you everybody for your kind support - let me assure you that your support and encouragement are most welcome.Jane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-45456429406983329382011-03-08T18:14:00.000-08:002011-03-08T19:11:14.055-08:00CHRISTCHURCH EARTHQUAKE 2011Christchurch Earthquake And The Aftermath 2011<br /><br />Greetings to all!<br /><br />At this time, our thoughts and prayers are still with the people of Christchurch, New Zealand, who suffered such terrible losses during the recent earthquake that came largely without warning. The world watched as this very sad catastrophe unfolded before our very eyes and we could not help but shed tears for our Pacific Island/Oceania neighbours. To our dear Oceania neighbours, may the good Lord help and guide you along as you rebuild shattered lives and your beautiful city. <br /><br />I have taken the opportunity to share some of my thoughts on Christchurch and the longer term implications of this terrible tragedy below:<br /><br /> <br />Central Christchurch on the River Avon was such a gentle place, built in the late 19th century around a cathedral and a college from the dreams of British pilgrims to emulate Christ Church, Oxford. <br /><br />Now, as emergency workers struggle to retrieve bodies from the wreckage of a fine dream turned to dust, the Christchurch Cathedral itself reduced from national treasure to ruined tomb, the 375,000 inhabitants of this city are consumed by a near unthinkable dread.<br /><br />Is it possible that New Zealand's second largest city, having found itself on the lip of one of the world's most active earthquake zones, has no future?<br /><br />This deadly earthquake has all but destroyed Christchurch's central business district, a square kilometre with Cathedral Square at its centre and bounded by four avenues: Bealey, Fitzgerald, Moorhouse and Deans. Previously, 50,000 people, the core of the city's middle class, worked within those four avenues. Less than an hour later not one of them had a job to go to and hundreds were dead.<br /><br />Where tourists flocked and the city came to work and dine, police and military now guard every corner, refusing entry to all but emergency workers, residents with identification and media with accreditation. Three large conventions worth more than $NZ10 million ($A7.4 million) were to have set the area humming that week. Instead, by night the district is empty during curfew; a vision from a nightmare.<br /><br />No one knows when, or if, the big banks, law firms, retailers, hotels, insurance companies, convention centres, arts establishments and scores of smaller businesses and restaurants might rebuild or reopen.<br /><br />Christchurch is the venue for some of the biggest games in the Rugby World Cup to be held in New Zealand in September 2011. Senior rugby figures have so far refused to consider moving the games, but with the city's eight biggest hotels out of business and the biggest of all, the 26-storey Grand Chancellor on the point of collapse, Christchurch authorities are privately conceding that it will not be possible to accommodate the huge crowds expected.<br /><br />New Zealand sits on the so-called "Ring of Fire", the boundary of the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, and experiences up to 15,000 tremors a year. It averages at least one a day that is magnitude 4.0 or stronger. This "Ring of Fire" extends through the Melanesian archipelago, Japan and The United States West coast, and in particular California.<br /><br />Rebuilding after a disaster, as soon as possible, in the same place and in the same way is the usual and expected community response. These emotional responses are intended to reduce community fears that homes will not arise again and property values will sink, destroying many people’s savings. While these statements are well intended, they need to be tempered with some reality.<br /><br />The question for Christchurch, after the recent devastating earthquake, should not be whether the city will be rebuilt but how it will be rebuilt safely. This means patience and courage will be needed so a better city emerges. Assurances have to be given soon that the city can emerge from this trauma stronger that it was before the deadly earthquake.<br />The best way to do this is to assure everyone that they will have a place to live of equal value in the new Christchurch, but maybe not the same place or built in the same way.<br /><br />The Japanese port city of Kobe faced this problem after its 1995 earthquake. In typical Japanese fashion, its authorities determined to build a better city by re-designing the spatial pattern, altering building codes and transforming the notion of property rights from absolute location to a place in the community that best fit the person’s needs.<br /><br />In this instance, Kobe citizens worked with planners in every district of the city to rebuild their neighbourhoods in a new, modern way that, in many cases, moved away from single-family detached structures to higher density, more strongly constructed, multifamily living units.<br /><br /> Everyone moved back into or near a neighbourhood of choice — not necessarily to the same one as before the earthquake, but to an equivalent-value space in the city. Some families moved into stronger single-family dwellings, but in most cases, higher-rise or attached dwellings were safer and better alternatives. In Kobe, every family exercised the choice that met their needs based on age and income.<br /><br />New Zealanders — and Australians — will want to continue the familiar form of single-family housing on their own block of land. But this may have to be done more along the model of New Orleans. There, more tightly built, safer homes are being constructed in clusters, with better building materials and safety systems, along with community services, shops and other activities located centrally.<br /><br />Soon it will be time for residents of the beautiful city of Christchurch to rebuild by putting the safety of the total community at the core of the project, and not just to consider building better individual dwellings. Christchurch can view this as the opportunity to create sustainable and survivable neighbourhoods that can stand on their own, with local supplies, water and power, as well as community shelters. These communities should have a variety of housing forms that can withstand severe shocks.<br /><br />In this respect, there are plenty of precedents. After Cyclone Tracy hit in 1974, the Darwin Reconstruction Commission rebuilt the city. The Bring New Orleans Back Commission helped resurrect the city after hurricane Katrina. Of course, New Zealand has been here before. After an earthquake razed Napier in 1931 - http://www.janeresture.com/newzealand_napier/index.htm - two commissioners rebuilt the city centre, assisted by the voluntary Napier Reconstruction Committee. Streets were widened, old mistakes rectified and beautiful buildings erected in the midst of the Depression. It is now a thriving art deco haven.<br /><br />Indeed, at this time, Christchurch has to engage its citizens in looking at the best international alternatives in earthquake safety in California and Japan. Community members should share with everyone the best information about the kind of city they want to live in, while retaining its distinctive charm, given the dangers they will continue to face.Jane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-79168367646165334712011-01-01T14:19:00.000-08:002011-01-01T14:37:05.397-08:00Belated Merry Christmas And A Happy, Blessed, Prosperous & Safe New Year!To all my very dear friends and family, my belated Merry Christmas and a very Happy, Prosperous, Blessed and Safe New Year to you all! <br /><br />At last, I am slowly settling in my new place and I'm back to doing one of the things that I truly and genuinely love -- i.e. enjoy working and sharing those things about our beloved places: Oceania/Pacific Islands. I am now able to utilise my computer again to catch up with what's happening in beautiful Oceania/Pacific Islands and their wonderful and beautiful people :-) Also, I would like to take this wonderful opportunity to thank all my dear and beloved friends and relatives who took the time to write and to remind me that I am getting older hehehe!! Just kidding! To all of you my dear and wonderful friends, I thank you so very much for your kind words, with much love and appreciation. Louisa, Rosa, Johanna, my dear niece Jane Taafaki, Aileen in beautiful Canberra, etc. -- thank you so much for your most kind words and for your most appreciated best wishes on my 21st birthday!!! Did I say, 21st ??? hehehe!! From the bottom of my heart, I thank you - no words can adequately express my very sincere appreciation and gratitude. On my birthday, I remembered you all with much love and I truly felt as though we were still out there together on our beautiful islands - Kiribati, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, etc. - and Taborio, Tarawa, with my dear IHC friends, laughing and enjoying ourselves, swimming out there in that beautiful lagoon trying to catch some fish to go with ara ben, te moimoto ma te mori ke? - hehehe :-) A rang ni kamaeu taai akanne ke? So much to share and I also thank those wonderful friends who have all been so very supportive during 2010. Thank you so much to you all. <br /><br />My very sincere thanks go to you, my dear friend, Nigel Quai from Vanuatu, for your very beautiful words, your sharing your daughter, Vanessa's fantastic CDs (including other CDs by Vanuatu artists) - they are all now playing on our Pacific Islands Radio Stations - along with your most kind, supportive and encouraging e-mails - much appreciated. <br /><br />By the way, the two Newsletters, both Jane's Oceania Home Page and Jane's Pacific Islands Radio - that I promised to send out before Christmas 2010 - my apologies for the delay - I just did not have much time as I was in between two home addresses :-) They will now be sent out to all members and friends in a few days -be assured that, I shall get there very soon, eventually, I promise, now that I am able to work on my computer, at my new address :-) Thanks and the Best to all!<br /><br />That's all for now my dear friends and take care -- enjoy your day - and 2011!!! Happy New Year!Jane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-32840600779762686582010-10-29T16:40:00.000-07:002010-10-29T16:48:50.257-07:00Climate Change And Global WarmingGreetings everybody!<br /><br />Some thoughts on Climate Change and Global Warming in Oceania/Pacific Islands and elsewhere.<br />Kam bati n rabwa, Tekeraoi, Ti a boo moa.<br /><br />Oceania And Global Warming (www.janeresture.com)<br />http://www.janeresture.com/oceania_warming/index.htm<br /><br />Aspects of Global Warming (www.janeresture.com)<br />http://www.janeresture.com/oceania_warming1/index.htm<br /><br />Oceania And Global Warming (www.janesoceania.com) <br />Causes and Effects:<br />http://www.janesoceania.com/oceania_global_warming/index.htm<br /><br />Oceania And Global Warming (1) (www.janesoceania.com) <br />Unnatural Disasters:<br />http://www.janesoceania.com/oceania_global_warming1/index.htm<br /><br />Jane's Oceania Home Page:<br />http://www.janeresture.com/index.htmJane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-27149329353836842122010-10-12T18:07:00.000-07:002010-10-12T22:27:42.086-07:00DID THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES DISCOVER AMERICA?A growing number of archaeological finds suggest the Americas were settled earlier than thought, and by at least two different groups of people. What's startling is that the oldest human remains look like Australian Aborigines.<br /><br />Who were the first people to set foot in the Americas? For a long time, the answer to this question seemed as sharply defined as the end of the fluted hunting tools known as 'Clovis points' found in scattered sites across North America: humans colonised the Americas rather late in the history of human expansion. <br /><br />After scampering about in trees for a few million years, anatomically modern humans emerged in Africa and promptly began migrating to the four corners of the world. The earliest ancestors expanded throughout Asia, arriving in Australia at least 50,000 years ago, Europe at least 45,000 years ago and western Melanesia at least 40,000 years ago. There, the eastward expansion came to a halt. The last two habitable continents remained out of reach across the wide open body of water we now call the Pacific Ocean.<br /><br />Eventually, one group of humans, with distinctive Mongoloid features, around Northern Asia mastered the art of hunting mega fauna. During the last Ice Age, when the world's water was locked up in massive ice sheets and glaciers, the Bering Strait was drained to reveal the continental shelf between Siberia and Alaska. The ancestors of today's Native Americans followed the herds of mammoths, long-horn bison and horses on the final eastward expansion, arriving in the New World by about 11,200 years ago. <br /><br />According to this traditional view, the big-game hunters of Mongoloid appearance continued their expansion southward, through an interior ice-free path formed by the retreating glaciers. When they reached what is today the western United States, they flourished. Their success is marked by the prolific stone hunting tools first found near the town of Clovis, New Mexico, in the 1930s. In less than 1,000 years, the Clovis people (as they're known) trekked from Alaska to the tip of South America, eventually founding all the indigenous populations of North and South America. <br /><br />Modern research has suggested as a consequence of other archaeological evidence becoming available from ancient sites that predate the Clovis culture that other races initially settled along the west coast of the Americas. Indeed, later research has indicated that the people who left Africa in the initial mass colonisation event were not altered by the Pacific Ocean. <br /><br />One example of this earlier settlement has been found from an ancient "Luzia woman" whose skeleton is held in the University of Sao Paolo, Brazil. This skeleton has a very projected space, with her chin sitting out further than her forehead. She has a long, narrow brain case, measured from the eyes to the back of the skull, a low nose and low orbits - the space where the eyes sit. Indeed, Luzia looks very much like an Australian aboriginal. <br /><br />Luzia, however, was discovered a world away, thirteen metres underground in Central Brazil, in one of the many mine stone rock shelters that make up an extensive system called Lapa Vermelha. In the mid 1990s the bones were analysed and it was concluded that they all belonged to a single female who was named "Luzia" as a homage to a specimen of Australopithicus afarensis dubbed Lucy, one of the early hominids in Africa who walked on two legs instead of four. Exact carbon dating could not be performed on Luzia who died when she was in her early 20s because researchers did not have the protein collagen necessary to date human remains. However, the layers of the rock shelter in which she was found indicate that she lived between 11,000 and 11,500 years ago. Scientists have indicated that Luzia may well be the oldest human skeleton in the Americas. <br /><br />Certainly Luzia is not alone. Several skeletal remains have since been analysed in seven archaeological sites from the far north as Florida in the USA and as far south as Chile. They all look most similar to sub-Saharan Africans, Australian Aborigines and some of the original populations of the Pacific Islands. What they don't look like is native Americans or East Asians. While Luzia may be the oldest human remains discovered in the Americas, she was not the first to be found. <br /><br />As early as 1989, some scientists proposed the existence of a non-mongoloid migration into the Americas that pre-dated the Clovis culture. An examination of 38 skeletons from three sites in Brazil and Colombia dated from 6000 to 12,000 years ago. The research suggested a clear biological affinity between the early South Americans and the South Pacific population. This association suggested the conclusion that the Americas were occupied before the spreading of the classical mongoloid morphology in Asia. This conclusion was further strengthened by the analysis of a further 81 skeletons from Lagoa Santa.<br /><br />Certainly, the conclusion raises the question of how on earth did a group of people who look like Australian Aborigines get all the way to Brazil at least 12,000 years ago. Research has shown that these people were in China about 20,000 years ago and that the mongoloid population that you see in Asia today is more recent. One possibility is that Luzia's "American Aborigines" shared a last common ancestor with the Australian aborigines in Southeast Asia with one group setting to the great southern land (Australia), arriving around 50,000 years ago. The other group wound their way through Asia and eventually made their way to Siberia, across the Bering Strait to Alaska. They did this thousands of years before the Clovis people. <br /><br />Research is still being undertaken as to the manner in which these early people crossed the Bering Strait with some archaeologists suggesting that North and South America were colonized by boats. At this time, archaeologists continued to piece together theories based on circumstantial evidence such as remains while geneticists examine population today and look for clues to their paths in mutations in the human DNA build-up in order to pinpoint when these mutations first appeared. Then, using particular mutations as markers, they can then trace the journey of different peoples back in time. In the case of Luzia, and her relative bones, DNA analysis is no easy task because the bones are so old that the DNA is highly degraded and contaminated with other human DNA, bacteria and viruses. While Brazil may have been too hot and wet to provide a good DNA sample, this problem does not exist at the southern tip of the continent. <br /><br />As a result of the above, researchers are working from samples from the southern region using new sequencing technology that can directly read the ancient pieces of DNA. It is this research that will conclusively prove who reached the New World first. Could it really have been the common ancestor of the Australian Aborigines or even the Australian Aborigines themselves? Did they take the voyage across the vast Pacific in flimsy craft or did they brave the southern ocean to reach the tip of South America? Alternatively, did they perverse the distances up to Siberia and across the Bering Strait and all the way to southernmost Chile? <br /><br />This Web site: <br /><br />Australia - Aboriginal - America <br /><br />http://www.janesoceania.com/australia_aboriginal_america/index1.htm <br /><br />will be updated further when the results of ongoing research become available.<br /><br />Domains:<br />http://www.janeresture.com/index.htm<br />http://www.janesoceania.com/index.html<br />http://www.ourpacificocean.com/index.htm<br />http://www.pacificislandsradio.com/index.htmJane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-80143201663311712162010-10-10T15:28:00.000-07:002010-10-10T15:58:35.392-07:00200 New Species Discovered In Remote Papua New Guinea200 New Species Discovered <br />In Remote Papua New Guinea<br /><br />A spectacular array of more than 200 new species has been discovered in the Pacific Islands of Papua New Guinea, including a white-tailed mouse and a tiny, long-snouted frog.<br /><br />The survey of remote New Britain Island and the Southern Highlands ranges, accessible only by a combination of small plane, dinghy, helicopter and foot, found an exciting range of new mammals, amphibians, insects and plants.<br /><br />People have heard of birds of paradise and tree-climbing kangaroos, but when you look even closer at the small things you just realise that there's a staggering diversity out there that we really know nothing about.<br /><br />Papua New Guinea's jungles are one of just three wild rainforest areas, along with the Amazon and the Congo basin, left in the world, and as such comprise a vast "storehouse" of biodiversity, with scores of new species.<br /><br />Scientists have indicated that only half of the things documented actually have names.<br /><br />The rugged, mountainous and largely inaccessible terrain meant biologists had not even been able to enter some regions and there were large areas of New Guinea that are pretty much unexplored biologically.<br /><br />Genetic testing used to prove new species such as the mouse which confirmed that it was not related to any known creature.<br /><br />There is little doubt that these kinds of discoveries are certainly good news story amongst all the gloom, particularly when one considers the creeping extinction of other creatures.Jane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-9929275786643621532010-09-28T14:54:00.000-07:002010-10-05T14:09:13.108-07:00THE 16TH ANNUAL DEADLY AWARDSTHE 16TH ANNUAL DEADLY AWARDS<br /><br />The Deadly Awards are held each year in Australia to celebrate Indigenous achievements in entertainment, music, sport and the community.<br /><br />One big winner in the 2010 awards was the film 'Bran Nue Dae' which was named Film of the Year. The music from this most entertaining film (which my dear family, friends and I have seen and enjoyed immensely) has been proudly featured on our Flagship Station: Pacific Islands Radio - along with the music of the talented Archie Roach whose sixth studio album: '1988' was awarded - Album Release of the Year! <br /><br />Please check out our Oceania Web sites: http://www.janesoceania.com/australia_aboriginal_music/index1.htm for more information about Archie Roach; <br />along with our Pacific Islands Radio Web site to enjoy the enchanting and beautiful music from 'Bran Nue Dae': <br />http://www.pacificislandsradio.com/index.htm <br /><br />It is certainly pleasing to see that more than 29,000 votes were cast for the 2010 awards and that the importance of these awards are now being recognised, to a much greater extent, by the mainstream community.<br /><br />Perhaps more importantly, these important awards deliver a strong and healthy message to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community - that, hopefully, will provide inspiration to all Indigenous Australians and, in particular, to young Indigenous Australians across the country.<br /><br />Our very sincere Congratulations to all the successful artists! Well done!Jane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-18427335424854575102010-09-12T23:15:00.000-07:002010-09-12T23:44:18.242-07:00Pacific Islands Radio - The Beautiful Music Of MicronesiaWelcome Everybody!<br /><br />This is a listening guide to the many <br />listeners of our Internet Pacific Islands <br />Radio Stations.<br />http://www.pacificislandsradio.com/index.htm<br /><br />I will focus on issues relating to Pacific <br />Island music and to embrace some of the <br />exciting changes taking place in the Internet <br />Radio Revolution, as well as updated information <br />on our Pacific Island Artists, Programming and <br />Playlists.<br /><br />NEWS AND VIEWS<br /><br />Welcome to beautiful Micronesia!<br />http://www.janeresture.com/michome/index.htm<br /><br />As mentioned previously, and after our <br />recent trip to spectacular and exotic <br />Melanesia, it is now my great pleasure to <br />be able to share with you a brief outline <br />of the traditional and contemporary music <br />(and dance) of fantastic Micronesia! <br /><br />The people of Micronesia were the last <br />ethnic group to migrate into the Pacific <br />region, being preceded by many thousands <br />of years by the Melanesians and, some <br />thousands of years earlier, by the people of <br />Polynesia. Indeed, there is a growing amount <br />of evidence to suggest that the many islands <br />and atolls of Micronesia have been inhabited <br />for at least 3000 years, and that the ancient <br />origin of the migrants was Southeast <br />Asia/Indonesia. <br /><br />Much of the evidence to support this is <br />based on the study of the languages of the <br />Micronesian people. The Gilbertese <br />(Kiribati) language, for example, belongs to <br />the very large Austronesian language family <br />which evolved in Southeast Asia and began <br />to spread into the Pacific about 5000 years <br />ago. With the exception of some societies <br />in the Solomon Islands and New Guinea, <br />all languages in the Pacific, including the <br />Gilbertese language, belong to this family. <br /><br />Also, of course, the study of plants in the <br />Pacific in recent years has revealed some <br />important evidence about the migrations <br />of people. With few exceptions, all useful <br />food and fibre plants found today in the <br />Pacific islands originated outside the Pacific. <br />For example, all the important plants used <br />by Gilbertese (I-Kiribati or Kiribati people), <br />the coconut, breadfruit, babai or taro, as <br />well as pandanus, are native to the Southeast <br />Asia/Indonesia area. Researchers can only <br />conclude that they must have been brought <br />to the islands by the early settlers. <br /><br />The music and associated dance forms in <br />Micronesia are distinctive, yet, they are closely <br />related in many ways to that of their Polynesian <br />counterpart. With the exception of Truk (Chuuk) <br />in the central Caroline Group, which displays <br />traits of Melanesian and possibly Indonesian <br />influence, the music structure of all parts of <br />Micronesia is predominantly word-determined, <br />as is that of Polynesia. The origins of traditional <br />Micronesian music, however, are generally quite <br />obscure with the music having been handed <br />down by older folks to the younger children. <br /><br />Composing traditional music involves a <br />considerable amount of ritualism and magic. <br />The composer does not compose the music <br />himself, but rather the song or songs are given <br />to the composers in a mythical setting - possibly <br />in a dream or a trance. The task of the composer <br />is then to follow the secret methodology that their <br />predecessors had passed on to them to produce <br />a song that is regarded as being magically blessed.<br /><br />The second method of composing songs is one <br />which involves no magic and results from somebody <br />wishing to have a song made for him. In this case, <br />the person tells the story to be told to the composer <br />who listens intently and full of concentration. At a <br />later time, the composer may ask for further <br />information and the person requesting the song must <br />provide all the needed details.The most commonly <br />composed songs of this nature are love songs.These <br />are often about love for someone you will never <br />see again or a place that you have left behind. The <br />most popular ones, however, are about love between <br />a boy and a girl, a man and a woman or a husband <br />and a wife. The same process is also used for wedding <br />songs, competition songs, religious songs, war songs, <br />dance music and children's songs. The composer has <br />to know what song you want and he must be provided <br />with all the information to do it. <br /><br />The third manner in which a song may be composed <br />is when, occasionally, a composer may wish to <br />compose an original song. In this case the composer <br />first works on firstly developing the tune by humming <br />it. When this is completed he will then think about <br />the words to go with the music until a very original <br />composition results.<br /><br />Micronesian songs and chants have been composed <br />to cover many of the diverse and varied aspects <br />of life in Micronesia. These can include toddy <br />cutting songs, love songs, presentation of food, <br />songs for sick people, launching a canoe or putting <br />a small baby to sleep. In many cases the songs or <br />chants call on the spirits for assistance in some <br />situation or an endeavour about to be undertaken. <br />The following is one of the songs, reproduced below <br />without alteration, composed on Tamana Island, in <br />the Republic of Kiribati, for the people about to <br />be resettled in the Phoenix Group, Republic of <br />Kiribati: <br /><br />"We are about to sail to Orona, <br />Goodbye O people of our homeland; <br />We have got our lands, <br />In the new Group of Islands. <br /> <br />We shall step ashore at Orona, <br />We shall dig our wells; <br />We shall build our dwelling houses, <br />So that we may live well. <br /> <br />Stand up, O people of the Gilberts, <br />Grasp your working tools; <br />We shall stand up and clear <br />the undergrowth and plant coconut trees. <br /><br />We are happy, for we shall now live. <br />Do not forget us, O people of our homeland." <br /><br />The interpretation of Micronesian music in <br />the form of dance movements results in a dance <br />form which is exciting, emotive and totally <br />absorbing. The dance forms emphasise the use <br />of mainly hands and arms to interpret the literal <br />meaning of the music. Traditional and authentic <br />dances on the main islands include stick dancing <br />integral to Pohnpei, Chuuk, Kosrae and Yap - <br />Federated States of Micronesia. <br />http://www.janeresture.com/fedmic/index.htm <br /><br />Standing and sitting dances are featured <br />throughout much of Micronesia, including the <br />Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of <br />Kiribati, Palau, Saipan, Guam, Kosrae, Chuuk <br />and Yap.The Yapese are particularly well known <br />for their wonderful skills in stick dancing which <br />is performed by men, women and children together, <br />while some other dance forms are performed <br />either by women or men and boys, although never <br />both together.<br /><br />In some islands, such as Yap and the Republic <br />of Kiribati, there is also a concern for rank in <br />the placement of dancers, as well as the emphasis <br />on rehearsed execution of songs and movements. <br />The men participate in various dancing competitions, <br />which are segregated by caste or rank; the lower <br />castes have some distinct dances, such as a woman's <br />standing dance, but can only dance when authorized <br />by a person of a higher caste. Chuuk shares many <br />similar dance styles with Yap due to their similar <br />cultural heritage. Chuuk's most mysterious and <br />rarest dance is called the "Moonlight Dance". This <br />is one of the few times when both men and women <br />dance together. This particular dance can only <br />happen during a full moon with permission of the <br />village chief. Traditionally speaking, this was a way <br />for young males and females to get together. This <br />form of social engagement is also a feature of the <br />Trobriand islands (Melanesia) at the time of the <br />yam festival. In this respect, we can say that there <br />are certain similarities between many aspects of <br />the music and dance of the different ethnic groups <br />throughout the Pacific region while they still <br />remain distinctively Micronesian, Melanesian and <br />Polynesian.<br /><br />The musical instruments of Micronesia are few, <br />mainly due to the lack of material on the coral <br />atolls of Micronesia to produce the magnificent <br />wooden drums used throughout Melanesia and <br />Polynesia.The shell trumpet and nose flute are <br />the most common, though standard flutes and <br />jews harps are also found. A common idiophone <br />in Micronesia is a stick that is carried by men in <br />certain dances. The performers strike each <br />other's sticks in the course of the choreography.<br />Membranophones are not very common, though <br />the hourglass single-headed drum, like those <br />played in Papua New Guinea, is found as far <br />north as the Marshall Islands. In keeping with <br />the ecology of atoll life, the skins of these <br />drums are made from a shark's belly or parts <br />of the sting ray. Indeed, many atolls of the <br />Micronesian Pacific are without any indigenous <br />musical instruments whatsoever and, often <br />utilise many hands beating on mostly a wooden <br />box to accompany the music and dance.<br /><br />The above brief outline comprises our first <br />discussion on the beautiful music and dance <br />of wonderful Micronesia. In our next edition, <br />it would be my great pleasure to discuss further <br />aspects of Micronesian music (and dance), as <br />well as examining, in broad detail, the beautiful <br />relationships between the music of Melanesia, <br />Micronesia and Polynesia. Pacific Island music <br />is something that is forever fascinating. Among <br />many other things, it is vibrant, melodious, <br />exciting, soothing, absorbing and constantly <br />evolving, while at the same time, remaining <br />authentic to its diverse and complex origins. <br />These are some of the issues I would like to <br />discuss and share with you a little further <br />in my next blog. <br /><br />FEATURE ARTISTS<br /><br />THE LAMO SERAI BOYZ<br /><br />The Lamo Serai Boyz have recorded a <br />truly amazing collection of wonderful <br />electronic melodies based on traditional <br />and popular Micronesian songs from their <br />home island, Lamotrek, Yap, Federated<br />States of Micronesia, as well as other <br />islands in the Caroline archipelago. Their <br />music is available through Triton Films. <br />All the musical recordings were created <br />with state of the art Yamaha DSR 1000 <br />keyboards and professionaly mixed with <br />vocals in the Lamotrekese language at <br />C-Star Studio in Yap, with post-production <br />at Triton Films. <br /><br />No accoustic guitars were used. Such <br />artistry and talent, from a group of <br />island boys, growing up in a small <br />community, numbering no more than 300 <br />persons, and more than 600 miles from <br />the nearest 120 volt outlet in Yap, <br />must be heard to be believed! <br /><br />Anyone who has visited the restaurants <br />and bars of Micronesia will be instantly <br />transported back to the islands when <br />they hear the music of the Lamo Serai <br />Boyz. Their music encapsulates memories <br />of balmy nights and spectral lights <br />floating on a tropical pulse of swaying <br />bodies and lively conversation ... all <br />enveloped by wonderful melodies, both <br />lyrical and energetic. This CD is <br />certainly worth listening to for those <br />who enjoy that special authentic and <br />enchanting Micronesian music. <br />* * * * * * * * * *<br />Thank you all. For further information, <br />please check out the following four <br />Domains:<br /><br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com<br />www.pacificislandsradio.com<br /><br />I wish you all the very best. Have a great day!Jane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-18959310425112010232010-09-11T19:14:00.000-07:002010-09-11T19:21:53.194-07:00Music of OceaniaThis Newsletter will focus on issues<br />relating to Pacific Island music. It will<br />also embrace some of the exciting changes<br />taking place in the Internet Radio Revolution,<br />as well as updated information on our Pacific<br />Island Artists, Programming and Playlists.<br /><br />NEWS AND VIEWS<br /><br />In this edition of our newsletter, it is my<br />great pleasure to be able to discuss briefly, <br />with all of you, our most valued members, <br />the wonderful music of Oceania, in terms of <br />its origins, its similarities and those many <br />things that make Pacific Island music most<br />unique and beautiful.<br /><br />The people of Oceania, in common with <br />all of mankind, have a common origin in <br />Africa. The migrations to the Pacific <br />region, however, came about through <br />different routes and over a long period <br />of many tens of thousands of years. The <br />first to arrive were the Melanesians who <br />are by far the oldest ethnic group in the <br />Pacific region, and who are the proud <br />owners of a very rich and diverse <br />cultural heritage. <br /><br />The Melanesians were followed much <br />later by the Polynesians whose migratory <br />path took them through Taiwan, and along <br />the back of the Melanesian archipelago <br />of Papua and New Guinea, the Solomon <br />Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji, <br />until they finally settled in Tahiti, Samoa, <br />Tonga, the Cook Islands, New Zealand, <br />Tuvalu, as well as the remote Easter Island.<br /><br />The last to arrive were the Micronesians <br />whose journey took them much later through <br />the scattered islands of Micronesia, located <br />mainly to the north of the Melanesian Islands. <br />They settled on the main Micronesian islands <br />of Guam, Palau, Saipan, the Federated States <br />of Micronesia (Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and <br />Yap), the Marshall Islands and Kiribati. <br /><br />The traditional music of Melanesia, Polynesia<br />and Micronesia thus had very little in common <br />in terms of musical styles. What the music did <br />have in common was that, in the absence of <br />any written language, much of the music had <br />a religious significance and was originally <br />chanted to appease or call on the gods. <br />Some of the chants are also part of the oral <br />traditions of the people and these special <br />chants documented our history in a manner <br />that could be handed down from one <br />generation to the next.<br /><br />In Melanesia, Christian missionaries disapproved <br />of Papuan traditional music throughout the colonial <br />period of the country's history. Even after <br />independence, the outside world knew little of the <br />diverse peoples' traditional music genres. The first <br />commercial release to see an international audience <br />didn't occur until 1991. After 1872, Christian hymns <br />were also introduced with the Gold Rush bringing an <br />influx of Australian miners who introduced the mouth <br />organ..<br /><br />The best known traditional celebrations, which <br />include song, dance, feasting and gift-giving, is the <br />singsing. Vibrant and colourful costumes adorn the <br />dancers, while a leader and a chorus sing a staggered <br />approach to the same song. Since 1953, singsings <br />have become extremely competitive in nature, with <br />contests occurring in Port Moresby, Mt Hagan and <br />Goroko.<br /><br />Television was introduced to the country in 1993, <br />and American popular music continued to affect <br />Papuan music following on from the diffusion of <br />radio since World War II. By the end of the 1970s, <br />a local recording industry had appeared, and artists <br />like George Telek, began to successfully integrate <br />native and Western styles like rock and jazz. <br />Indeed, the music of George Telek is proudly <br />featured on Pacific Music Radio, Pacific Islands <br />Radio and Radio Melanesia.<br /><br />The traditional Melanesian music of the Solomon <br />Islands includes both solo and group vocals, as <br />well as slit drums and panpipe ensembles. Panpipe <br />orchestras, which are well-known in Malaita and <br />Guadalcanal use up to ten performers with <br />different instruments, each with unique tunings.<br /><br />In the 1920s, Bamboo music gained a following in <br />several Melanesian countries. Bamboo music was <br />made by hitting open-ended bamboo tubes of <br />varying sizes, originally with coconut husks. <br />After American soldiers brought their sandals to <br />the Solomon Islands, these replaced coconut husks <br />by the early 1960s, just as the music began <br />spreading to Papua New Guinea. <br /><br />Modern Solomon Islander popular music includes <br />various kinds of rock and reggae, as well as a <br />distinctive original form of music known as island <br />music which features a guitar and ukulele ensemble <br />format influenced by Polynesian and Christian music.<br /><br />The traditional music of Vanuatu featured instruments <br />such as the tamtam drum, which is intricately carved <br />from a log, as well as panpipes, conch shells and <br />gongs.The music industry of Vanuatu has grown <br />rapidly since the 1990s.The early part of that <br />decade saw bands forging a distinctly Vanuatuan <br />modern musical identity, with artists such as the <br />young talented and gifted artist, Vanessa Quai, <br />following in their footsteps.<br /><br />In New Caledonia, music is a fundamental <br />element of every traditional ceremony, and <br />the range of instruments includes conch shells, <br />rhythm instruments and bamboo flutes. The <br />Caldoches, or white New Caledonians, are <br />mostly descended from French convicts and <br />have forged their own culture, more akin to <br />that of rural Australians or rural Americans <br />than the metropolitan French. Among the <br />Kanaks, dance has developed into a high <br />art form. The traditional pilou dance tells <br />the stories of births, marriages, cyclones <br />or preparations for battle, although colonial <br />authorities banned pilous in 1951 for the<br /> high-energy and trance-like state they <br />induced in the dancers. <br /><br />Throughout Polynesia, song and dance are <br />integral parts of the same cultural elements. <br />The dance is used to illustrate the lyrics by <br />moving the hands or arms with some dances <br />being performed while the dancers are seated. <br />Traditionally, dance moves do not illustrate the <br />song's narrative, but rather draw attention to <br />specific words and themes; in modern times, <br />however, dances are more often explicitly <br />narrative in their focus. There are also <br />traditional dances performed without lyrics, <br />to the accompaniment of percussive music.<br /><br />Within songs, the lyrics are by far more <br />important than the melodic accompaniment, <br />with elements such as rhythm, melody and <br />harmony being traditionally viewed as <br />accompaniment to the primary focus, the <br />lyrics, serving to embellish, illustrate <br />and decorate the words. <br /><br />The most important instrument is the voice, <br />though multiple varieties of slit drums and conch <br />shells are also popular; the human body is used <br />as an instrument, with clapping and knee-slapping <br />used to accompany songs and dances. Other <br />instruments include the pandanus, a sitting mat that <br />is also used as a percussion instrument, nose flutes <br />and derivatives of Portuguese guitars like the <br />ukulele and slack-key guitar.<br /><br />Throughout Oceania, the missionaries did all <br />they could to wipe out traditional Polynesian <br />culture by levelling temples, destroying carvings, <br />and banning tattoos, and that heady, erotic <br />dancing that Bougainville told Europe about. <br />The missionaries sought to make the Polynesians <br />follow the teachings of the Good Book and their <br />own autocratic commandments, but fortunately <br />some of the traditional ways, including our <br />traditional music, survived. Recently there's been <br />a strong push to revive old ways and rediscover <br />traditional arts. <br /><br />Traditional musical instruments include pahu and <br />toere drums and the nose flute called a vivo. <br />Guitars and ukuleles made their way into Polynesia <br />and the locals developed a unique song style that <br />owes much to country and western music in form <br />but has a distinctive South Pacific island flavour. <br />Traditional dance, based on the traditional music, <br />has also slowly made its way back into Polynesian <br />life.<br /><br />In common with the music of Melanesia and <br />Polynesia, Micronesian music is influential to those <br />living in the Micronesian Islands. The traditional <br />music is highly spiritual and is based around the <br />ancient Micronesian mythology. The music can <br />call upon one of the gods or spirits for a blessing <br />or help in a task to be undertaken. The music of <br />Micronesia covers a range of styles from <br />traditional songs, handed down through generations, <br />to contemporary music, much of which comprises <br />contemporary interpretations of the traditional <br />spiritual music.<br /><br />Micronesian traditional music, like much Polynesian <br />music, is primarily vocal-based. In many cases, this <br />results from the lack of suitable material on the many <br />low-lying coral atolls of Micronesia to construct the <br />kind of drums and other percussion instruments <br />available to the Melanesians and many of the <br />Polynesians. <br /><br />Music is an integral part of life on the islands of <br />the Pacific. Indeed, the songs and dances are woven <br />into the very fabric of everyday life. Life, love, <br />work, play, the ocean, the gods, the earth itself; <br />they all flow through the music of the Pacific Islands, <br />as surely as the sand erodes into the sea. Pacific <br />Island music is truly the music of the world and is <br />proudly featured on our four Pacific Islands Radio <br />stations!<br /><br />Thank you so much everybody for your continual<br />support, and I do hope that you enjoy our News <br />and Views in this special edition of our Newsletter. <br />* * * * * * * * * *<br />For further information, please check out the <br />following four Domains:<br /><br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com<br />www.pacificislandsradio.com<br /><br />Thank you and enjoy your day.Jane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-50314286805697843232010-09-11T18:46:00.000-07:002010-09-11T19:03:15.868-07:00Pacific Islands Radio - The Music of Polynesia, Melanesia and MicronesiaThis Blog is a listening guide to the many <br />listeners of our four Internet Pacific Islands <br />Radio Stations.<br />http://www.pacificislandsradio.com/index.htm<br /><br />The Blog will focus on issues relating to <br />Pacific Island music. It will also embrace <br />some of the exciting changes taking place <br />in the Internet Radio Revolution,as well as <br />updated information on our Pacific<br />Island Artists, Programming and Playlists.<br /><br />NEWS AND VIEWS<br /><br />In the last few blogs, it has been my great <br />pleasure to be able to present an outline of <br />the traditional and contemporary music of <br />Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia. This <br />was followed by a similar general overview <br />of Pacific Island music in the context of <br />the origins, mythology and external <br />influences on the music and people of the <br />Pacific Islands.<br /><br />In this edition, I would like to share with <br />you some thoughts on Pacific Island music and <br />its relevance in the global context of popular <br />music. Certainly, as a musical genre, Pacific <br />Island music is distinctive, exciting and <br />enthralling - it displays a depth of understanding <br />of human experiences that can touch the very <br />heart and soul of the listener. Despite all this, <br />Pacific Island music has not yet achieved the <br />support, and the success it fully deserves on <br />the international music scene. Certainly, many <br />of our excellent artists have achieved superstar <br />status in their own countries and in the Pacific <br />region, although, as yet, have not been able to <br />translate this success onto a global environment.<br /><br />Indeed, the necessary ingredients for <br />international success are all present - in the <br />form of world quality recording studios, top <br />class musicians, and singers with amazing talents, <br />along with a loyal and appreciative local support <br />base. One would perhaps have to ask what needs <br />to be done in order for these talented people to <br />achieve international acclaim (as per one of <br />the beautiful letters below that I have recently <br />received from Japan by a talented artist from <br />New Zealand).<br /><br />The late great Hawaiian musician, Israel <br />Kamakawiwo Ole' (Bruddah Iz), was one of <br />those who made the statement that, as island <br />people, we live in both worlds - the traditional <br />world of our island people, and the western <br />world that we are, of necessity, part of. In <br />this respect, being able to reconcile the often <br />conflicting demands of our traditional lifestyle,<br />and western lifestyle, is something that is very <br />apparent in island life, and thus is a very <br />important factor in the longer term wider <br />success of Pacific Island music. <br /><br />In some cases, it is perhaps a sad reality that,<br />some of our talented artists, are unable to <br />reconcile our traditional values with western <br />values, which can easily swamp those of our <br />traditional society. Yet, one would have to <br />suspect that ultimate success as a musical <br />artist depends on a successful fusion of our <br />traditional music with the musical expectations <br />of a global audience.<br /><br />Out of all our musical groups, we are very <br />proud to be able to say that Te Vaka has <br />successfully been able to achieve international <br />acclaim and recognition and, in many respects, <br />can be considered a role model for any group <br />wishing to achieve and enjoy international <br />success. A performance by Te Vaka is exciting<br />and completely enthralling - a visual and musical <br />experience that always stays in the mind of the <br />audience. Te Vaka, as an accomplished group<br />of musicians and performers, has been able <br />to combine exciting dance and vibrant music as <br />they tell the stories of the mythology and the <br />many trials and tribulations of our Pacific Island <br />people.<br /><br />With most of Te Vaka's songs being presented <br />in their native language, western audiences, in <br />the main, do not understand the lyrics, however, <br />the message is always clear. With a strong and <br />resonant musical beat, combined with exciting <br />dance and theatre, the audience is left in no doubt <br />as to the underlying message of the performance.<br /><br />As a solo artist, teenage artist, Vanessa Quai, from <br />the Pacific nation of Vanuatu, is certainly making <br />a big impression on the musical scene, both in the <br />Pacific region, as well as internationally. Indeed <br />Vanessa's achievement in winning the first prize in <br />the RTV Golden Stag International Music Festival <br />in Brasov, Romania, on the 23rd September 2005, <br />strongly suggests that Vanessa has the potential of <br />being a major international star of the future. With <br />the support of her wonderful family, including her <br />father/manager, Nigel Quai, as well as her frequent <br />musical collaboration with her talented Melanesian <br />fellow artist, Edou, (our Feature Artist in our <br />March 2006 edition of this Pacific Island Music <br />Newsletter), Vanessa Quai, the talented young <br />lady from Vanuatu, definitely has a very bright <br />and assured musical future. <br /><br />I am very pleased to be able to say that our <br />Pacific Islands Radio is reaching out to a vast<br />worldwide audience and has generated great<br />interest, along with a great many requests <br />from those wonderful people who would like <br />to purchase our beautiful Pacific Island music.<br /><br />In addition, there has been many most <br />welcome e-mails from talented artists from <br />the Pacific Islands (and worldwide), who <br />would greatly appreciate the opportunity of <br />having their music featured on Pacific Islands <br />Radio. Let me humbly say that this is, indeed, <br />a great honour coming from such gifted artists. <br />I have included one such beautiful letter, <br />below, from an artist who certainly deserves <br />our assistance and support. <br /><br />Once again, may I ask you, our valued members,<br />to assist in whatever way we can to help promote<br />another of our talented artists. Thank you. <br /><br />"Jane, <br />I have been listening to your radio station on-line <br />from Japan. I am a New Zealander (Maori) but <br />Tokyo-based musician...I play with all Japanese <br />musicians and we play regularly around Japan. <br />We have just finished a 16 date tour of New <br />Zealand and our 2nd album 'Papatu Road' will <br />be available in stores in Japan from May 10th. <br />The album has received critical acclaim from <br />reviewers back in New Zealand. I belong to a <br />small independent record label in Japan <br />called 'Suzuki Records'. They do my promotion <br />inside Japan, but nothing outside and, because <br />I am so desperate to reach the wider community, <br />I am researching avenues myself.<br /><br />I actually had an interview on ABC Radio <br />Australia last month with Heather Javis on <br />'In the Loop'<br />www.myspace.com/benkempmusic<br /><br />I have been exploring Polynesian and Asian <br />influences through music for several years <br />now. Here is some information on me:<br />www.benkemp.co.nz<br />http://www.thread.co.nz/article/1838<br />http://www.amplifier.co.nz/artist/13972/ben_kemp.html<br />http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0601/S00109.htm<br /><br />I would greatly appreciate any support you can <br />offer. Should you require any further information <br />i.e previous radio interviews, or MP3's or an album, <br />please don't hesitate to contact me directly.<br />E noho ra, Ben"<br /><br />Finally, I would very much like to thank you,<br />our valued members, along with our worldwide<br />listeners, for the incredible and much <br />appreciated increase in the number of listening <br />hours and presets on all our four Pacific Islands <br />Radio Stations. In particular, the support for <br />our new Pacific Islands Radio Station - Radio <br />Melanesia - has been just great and, once <br />again, very much appreciated! <br />Keep on listening everybody and enjoy the <br />music! Thank you so very much!<br /><br />By the way, I should mention also that our<br />Playlists now include the beautiful tracks <br />from Edou's latest exciting album, along with <br />some haunting, beautiful and melodious tracks <br />from Laisa Vulakoro, our Feature Artist this<br />month! Enjoy! <br />(See below under: Feature Artist).<br />* * * * * * * * * *<br />NOTICE BOARD<br /><br />MELANESIAN MUSIC -<br />"RADIO MELANESIA"<br /><br />Pacific Islands Radio is very pleased<br />to be able to advise that Pacific<br />Islands Radio 28K has now been converted<br />to "RADIO MELANESIA" - to progressively<br />highlight the vibrant and exciting music<br />of Melanesia, along with a selection of<br />music from Polynesia and Micronesia.<br />RADIO MELANESIA<br />http://www.live365.com/stations/janeres<br /><br />OCEANIA MESSAGE FORUMS<br /><br />I am very pleased to be able to say that,<br />in addition to our main Oceania Guest Book,<br />additional Forums have been introduced to<br />all Web sites of the main islands and islets<br />of the Pacific, as well as personalities,<br />along with our Pacific Islands Radio Web sites:<br />http://pub47.bravenet.com/forum/4004922603<br /><br />As you are no doubt aware, these Forums<br />have been most beneficial in bringing together<br />many people with an interest in and a love of<br />the beautiful and enchanting music of the<br />Pacific Islands. You are cordially invited to<br />share your valuable and important thoughts<br />and opinions with us all.<br /><br />Recent additions also include the Web<br />sites for Hawaii, Tahiti, Samoa, Republic<br />of Nauru, Republic of the Marshall Islands,<br />Tonga, Tokelau, Easter Island, New<br />Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Papua New<br />Guinea, Cook Islands and Pitcairn Island,<br />Niue, as well as our Oceania Postcards<br />and Picture Galleries - and many more!<br />Thank you.<br /><br />PACIFIC ISLANDS RADIO<br /><br />I would like to mention, in response<br />to some of the e-mails and messages that I<br />have received, from those wonderful people<br />who would like to listen to our beautiful<br />Pacific Island music, but unfortunately,<br />are unable to actually listen to the music.<br /><br />Basically, it is quite easy to access and<br />enjoy Pacific Islands Radio (our four<br />Pacific Islands Radio Stations). Once<br />you have accessed the page, it is most<br />necessary to firstly log on, in order to<br />be able to listen to the music. The process<br />of being able to log on can be achieved<br />by providing your username and password<br />before clicking on the yellow 'Play'<br />button provided on the centre of the page.<br />Good Luck and Enjoy!<br /><br />In addition, the many listeners who would<br />like to purchase the music played on our<br />four Pacific Islands Radio Stations, in CD<br />format, can obtain details of recommended<br />suppliers by clicking on Artists' Profiles<br />on Pacific Islands Radio Home Page:<br />www.pacificislandsradio.com<br /><br />Pacific Islands Radio continues to offer a<br />range of broadcasting formats in order to<br />allow a wide range of listeners to enjoy<br />our beautiful island music.<br /><br />STATIONS<br /><br />Our four Pacific Islands Radio Stations<br />play the enchanting music of the Pacific<br />Islands 24 hours daily.<br />www.pacificislandsradio.com<br />http://www.pacificislandsradio.com/index.htm<br />http://www.janeresture.com/radio/index.htm<br /><br />Pacific Music Radio (mp3PRO)<br />http://www.live365.com/stations/drjaneresture<br /><br />Pacific Islands Radio<br />http://www.live365.com/stations/janeresture<br /><br />Radio Melanesia<br />http://www.live365.com/stations/janeres<br /><br />Micronesia Music Radio<br />http://www.live365.com/stations/jane_resture<br /><br />FEATURE ARTISTS<br /><br />LAISA VULAKORO<br /><br />Laisa Vulakoro, the Vude Queen, is one <br />of the most popular singers of all time in Fiji. <br />Vude, pronounced `vu-n-day' is the music <br />beat that is unique to Fiji - a combination of <br />Disco, Rock, Country and Island Style. The <br />beat derives from the traditional `Meke' or <br />dance sound. <br /><br />Laisa has been singing for almost 20 years and, <br />with 16 published albums to her name has written <br />and arranged most of her songs. Born on the <br />remote island of Yacata in Fiji with a population <br />of only 150, no running water or electricity, she is <br />the youngest girl of a family of 8 girls and 6 boys. <br /> <br />Her late father, Delai, was a choir-master and lay <br />preacher of their church. Everyone in the family <br />sang in the church. Her late father, and a few of <br />her brothers, are also song-writers. Her band in <br />Fiji includes mainly family members. <br /> <br />Laisa is currently a Director of the Fiji Performing <br />Rights Association, which is a non-profit <br />organization that protects the rights of composers <br />in Fiji. She has toured most of the Pacific Islands, <br />including Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, New <br />Caledonia, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, <br />Hawaii and the Solomon Islands. She has also <br />toured North America, Australia, New Zealand <br />and London. She has performed in most of the <br />top Resorts in Fiji and for many years was the <br />resident singer at the Regent of Fiji and the <br />Sheraton Fiji Resort. <br /> <br />Laisa is a Charity Worker who has donated her <br />time and talent towards helping underprivileged <br />women and children and is a `Champion' of <br />promoting young talent, especially with the Blind <br />School, Hilton Special School and various <br />orphanages around Fiji. <br /> <br />In recognition of her tireless contribution to <br />charity, she was awarded a Fiji Independence <br />Medal in 1996, given only to outstanding Fiji <br />Citizens and, in 2003, the French Government <br />awarded her the title of Chevallier of Fine Art <br />and Literature. <br /> <br />Laisa was named by a well-known columnist <br />in Fiji as "Fiji's Living National Treasure" in <br />recognition of her ability to bring people from <br />all races and diverse backgrounds together <br />through her music. <br /> <br />Her versatility and talent enables her to <br />sing many styles of music and her stage <br />presence makes her the complete entertainer. <br /><br />* * * * * * * * * *<br />For further information please check out the <br />following four Domains:<br /><br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com<br />www.pacificislandsradio.com<br /><br />That's all for now and thank you. Have a great day!Jane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-15537495862923503842010-09-11T18:26:00.000-07:002010-09-11T19:08:10.232-07:00Aboriginal And Melanesian MusicThis Blog is a listening guide to the many <br />listeners of our four Internet Pacific Islands <br />Radio Stations:<br />http://www.pacificislandsradio.com/index.htm<br /><br />The Blog will focus on issues relating to <br />Pacific Island music. It will also embrace <br />some of the exciting changes taking place in <br />the Internet Radio Revolution, as well as <br />updated information on our Pacific<br />Island Artists, Programming and Playlists.<br /><br />NEWS AND VIEWS<br /><br />In this edition of our Pacific Islands Radio <br />Newsletter (Island Music), it is my great <br />pleasure to be able to focus on some aspects <br />of the traditional music of Melanesia and to <br />introduce some exciting Melanesian artists <br />who have now been incorporated into our <br />Playlists. In subsequent editions, it is my <br />intention to focus on aspects of Polynesian <br />music and musicians, followed by music <br />and musicians from Micronesia.<br /><br />In this respect, I would like to share with <br />you some thoughts on the music of the <br />Australian Aborigines and Torres Strait <br />Islanders. Their music is very much part <br />of the social fabric of their life, their <br />history and their culture.It has a haunting <br />and mysterious quality that draws the listener <br />into the history, culture and the ancient <br />dreamtime of the Aboriginal people.<br /><br />Among the earliest inhabitants of the <br />Oceania region, it is generally accepted <br />that the indigenous Australians - the <br />Aboriginal people - entered Australia <br />from the Indo-Malaysian mainland via <br />New Guinea, taking advantage of the <br />land bridges which stretched most of <br />the way through Asia. These land bridges <br />were exposed during the ice ages, the <br />Pleistocene epoch, when water levels <br />dropped hundreds of metres. New <br />Guinea and Cape York Peninsula were <br />once joined by the Sahul Shelf.<br /><br />The oldest settlement so far recorded <br />in Australia is radiocarbon-dated to <br />about 50,000 years ago. This settlement <br />around Lake Mungo is where humans <br />camped around inland lake shores and <br />dined on fish, shellfish, emu eggs, small <br />marsupials and - almost certainly - a range <br />of wild seeds, roots and fruits. The first <br />human remains found at Lake Mungo are <br />all homo sapiens - the modern human type <br />to which present-day black and white <br />Australians all belong. More than this, the <br />remains are among the oldest of this type <br />in the world.<br /><br />The first archaeological discovery at Mungo, <br />in 1969, was a skeleton of a female who <br />had been cremated and placed in a small pit. <br />This cremation is dated to about 24,000 B.C. <br />Other burials in the Mungo region are of bodies <br />laid out flat and not burned, but all have some <br />kind of goods with them in the grave. These <br />goods include stone tools, shells and animal <br />seeds. At this time, we do not know the beliefs <br />of the mourners who made these offerings, <br />however, their presence most probably recorded <br />a complex set of beliefs about the spiritual <br />world. It seems likely that aspects of the <br />"Dreaming", the all-encompassing historical and <br />cosmological structure that is a cornerstone of <br />modern aboriginal life, were already present all <br />those years ago. <br /><br />Although there were variations in the customs <br />and skills of the hundreds of different <br />Aboriginal tribes across the vast continent <br />of Australia, they all lived in equally close <br />community with their environment. The Dreamtime, <br />the Aborigine's spiritual guide, encouraged their <br />intimate involvement with the landscape, whether <br />their home was on the lush coastal plains or in <br />the harsh interior. They knew what to eat, how <br />to prepare it, where and when to find it and, <br />most important, how to protect their resources <br />for the future. What the elders knew about <br />survival, they passed on by example, legend <br />and ritual. Along with this, there were songs <br />for every occasion - hunting songs, funeral <br />songs, gossip songs and songs of ancestors, <br />landscapes, animals, seasons, myths and <br />Dreamtime legends.<br /><br />TRADITIONAL ABORIGINAL MUSIC<br /><br />Indigenous Australian music, in this context, <br />is taken to include the music of the Australian <br />Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, who <br />are collectively referred to as indigenous <br />Australians. Music has formed an integral <br />part of the social, cultural and ceremonial <br />observances of Australian Aboriginal and <br />Torres Strait Islander peoples, down through <br />the millennia of their individual and <br />collective histories to the present day. <br /><br />Aboriginal people throughout most of Australia <br />believe that in the beginning of time, in the <br />Dreaming, there were no visible landmarks; the <br />world was flat. As time progressed, creatures <br />emerged from the ground and had the power to <br />change at will from their animal to their human <br />form. <br /><br />The kangaroo ancestor may now be described, in <br />songs particularly, as the kangaroo; the form of his <br />life essence is a matter of little consequence. These <br />original ancestral beings created all the features of <br />the landscape in the area in which their lives were <br />spent, and also populated the entire region concerned. <br />By their actions, they laid down the rules of conduct <br />for all their offspring. <br /><br />Throughout their lives on earth, they left inseminating <br />powers in the soil; they also created, and taught to <br />others, many songs including those recounting the <br />history of their own lives, songs for healing the <br />wounded and the sick, injuring the enemy, including <br />rain, arresting the flood, or causing the wind to turn <br />back. <br /><br />The inseminating powers left by these ancestors <br />are doubly important to the present people: <br />firstly, because the propagation of their group <br />is dependent on this power to create human <br />offspring in the likeliness of the human elements <br />of the ancestor; secondly, because the food <br />source of the group is dependent on this power <br />of each ancestor to ensure the plentiful supply <br />of recreated forms of the animal or plant element <br />of the ancestor's being. <br /><br />These powers become most accessible to the <br />present inhabitants of the area on those <br />occasions when the spirit of a particular <br />ancestor is drawn towards his own identification <br />marks of the song, acts and designs which he <br />originally created and which have been <br />meticulously preserved ever since.<br /><br />SONGS OF THE DREAMTIME<br /><br />A song is sung as a series comprising <br />many short verses, each of which tells <br />about a particular event or place associated <br />with the ancestor; or the performance may be <br />a full ceremonial one which includes portrayal <br />of relevant events in the performance of <br />dances accompanied by the singing of the <br />appropriate verses. <br /><br />The song associated with any one totemic "line" <br />will have the one melodic form throughout. This <br />means, in the case of very long "lines" of songs, <br />where the ancestor is reputed to have crossed <br />thousands of miles of territory, that the <br />characteristic melodic form will be found in <br />areas with different languages and musical <br />techniques. <br /><br />Because of the latter differences, an outside <br />observer may well fail to recognise extreme <br />sections of the one song-line as conforming <br />to the same musical pattern, but that they <br />do conform has been repeatedly stressed by <br />performers and shown by a number of detailed <br />analyses. The concept differs from our <br />experience of melodic sameness; it consists <br />of repetitions of sections of melody for a <br />set proportion of the time the total verse <br />takes to perform. <br /><br />Because this technique allows flexibility in <br />those areas of musical expression which tend <br />to change from one tribe to another, the basic <br />information can be kept intact even though <br />the total history may be retained, section by <br />section, in many different tribal areas. <br /><br />This means that, even when a visitor from afar <br />is unable to understand the language that the <br />locals are using in a song, he can determine, <br />from the musical structure, to which totemic <br />line the song belongs. <br /><br />And, because his own totemic song has been <br />very strong conditioning agent in the total <br />processes of his education to adult status in <br />the community, the recognition of his own song <br />in another area will have very deep significance. <br />These history songs link the time long past with <br />the present; the singer is part of a continuum; <br />he is reliving events of another era, and is yet<br />part of them. <br /><br />AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL <br />MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS<br /><br />The Australian Aboriginal people developed a <br />number of rare, unique and interesting musical <br />instruments. These include the didgeridoo, the <br />bullroarer, and the gum-leaf. Most well known <br />is the didgeridoo, a simple wooden tube blown <br />with the lips like a trumpet, which gains its <br />sonic flexibility from controllable resonances <br />of the player's vocal tract. The bull-roarer <br />is a simple wooden slat whirled in a circle on <br />the end of a cord so that it rotates about its <br />axis and produces a pulsating low-pitched roar. <br />The gum-leaf, as the name suggests, is a tree <br />leaf, held against the lips and blown so as to <br />act as a vibrating valve with "blown-open" <br />configuration. Originally intended to imitate <br />bird-calls, the gum-leaf can also be used as <br />a musical instrument.<br /><br />The didgeridoo originated in Arnhem Land on <br />the northern coastline of central Australia, <br />and has some similarity to bamboo trumpets and <br />even bronze horns developed in other cultures, <br />though it pre-dates most of these by many <br />millennia. The characteristic feature is that <br />the didgeridoo, which is a slightly flaring <br />wooden tube about 1.5 metres in length, is <br />simply hollowed out by natural termites <br />("white ants") from the trunk of one of the <br />small trees of the region. After cutting down, <br />the instrument is cleaned out with a stick, <br />the outside refined by scraping and then <br />painted with traditional designs, and the <br />blowing end smoothed by adding a rim of <br />beeswax.<br /><br />The predominant sound of the didgeridoo is a <br />low-pitched drone with frequency around 70Hz, <br />but depending significantly upon the length of the <br />instrument and the flare of its bore. In traditional <br />use, the didgeridoo, with clap-sticks for emphasis, <br />accompanies songs or illustrates traditional stories <br />about ancestors and animals Recently, however, <br />its use has spread into the popular music domain <br />and has had world-wide influence. <br /><br />The bullroarer consists of a simple wooden slat, <br />30 to 40cm in length and 5 to 7cm wide that is <br />whirled around in a circle on the end of a length <br />of cord. The slat rotates under the influence of <br />aerodynamic forces and generates a pulsating <br />sound with a frequency typically around 80Hz. <br />This sound is an important feature of Aboriginal <br />initiation ceremonies. The instrument itself is <br />by no means unique to Australia, as similar <br />instruments have been used by populations as <br />diverse as those of ancient Egypt and Northern <br />Canada.<br /><br />The gumleaf is altogether more primitive as a <br />musical instrument, since it consists simply <br />of a leaf from one of the various species of <br />Eucalypt trees growing throughout Australia, <br />which held against the lips using the fingers <br />of both hands. It does, however, have a long <br />tradition and culture. Although it takes a good<br />deal of trial and error for a beginner to even <br />produce a sound from a gumleaf, a skilled <br />player can control the pitch with good accuracy <br />over a range of more than an octave and play <br />simple tunes with ease.<br /><br />As in most cultures, the Aborigines also used <br />percussive instruments in their ceremonies. <br />Often these were simply two boomerangs <br />clashed together, but they also made special <br />shaped sticks for this purpose. Because the <br />wood used is a fine-grained hardwood, the <br />clapsticks are physically long-lasting and <br />produce a sharp and well defined sound.<br /><br />In their usual form, these sticks are about<br />200mm in length and 20mm in diameter and <br />are shaped to a long point at each end. One <br />stick is held in each hand and they are struck <br />together at about the mid-point of each. The <br />pointed ends ensure that the fundamental <br />transverse vibration has a high frequency, <br />so that the percussive effect stands out <br />well above the low-pitched drone of the <br />didgeridoo.<br /><br />The musical instruments of the Australian <br />Aboriginal people have come into world <br />prominence because of the popularity of <br />the didgeridoo, both as a tourist item and <br />as a musical instrument. It is only recently <br />that we have begun to have an appreciation <br />of the acoustical subtleties associated with <br />performance on this and the other ancient <br />instruments of the Aboriginal and Torres <br />Strait Island people.<br /><br />By the way, I am very pleased to be able<br />to say that our Playlists now include <br />beautiful tracks from Yothu Yindi, Becim, <br />Wasi Ka Nanara, Ok! Ryos, along with <br />Elisa and Julie. <br /><br />ADDITIONS TO THE PLAYLISTS<br /><br />OK! RYOS<br /><br />Originally from the Loyalty Province of <br />New Caledonia, Ok! Ryos are certainly <br />one of the most talented and the most prolific <br />bands in the country. Their songs, mainly <br />sung in "Nengone" language, are true jewels <br />of melodies and vocal harmonies. Traditional <br />without being folkloric, contemporary without <br />losing its soul, the musical cocktail of Ok! <br />Ryos charms our ears and our senses, bringing <br />us, for a moment, to the lagoons and atolls of <br />the South Pacific.<br /><br />ELISA AND JULIE <br /><br />The first album from the backup singers from <br />the group "Ok! Ryos." Elisa (25 years old) <br />and Julie (21 years old) momentarily left their <br />older brother (Édouard Wamejo) to record <br />this album. "Ciroi," meaning life, is sung in <br />French and in Nengone (the language of Maré, <br />the home island of the girls in New Caledonia). <br />All the pieces, except one written by their <br />brother, were written and composed by Julie <br />and Elisa. <br />"This is an album from and for girls that <br />talks about life, love, peace, and acts as <br />an encouraging message." However, boys also <br />are invited to listen to this album that <br />combines two young voices in magnificent <br />harmony! <br /><br />WASI KA NANARA<br /><br />The music of Wasi Ka Nanara is indigenous <br />to the Solomon Islands, especially on the <br />island of Malaita. One never sees women in <br />the group, for the music and dance is <br />exclusively the business of men. The musicians <br />make all their instruments themselves out of <br />bamboo. One particular instrument connects <br />many pan pipes together to form a kind of <br />collar which the players manipulate with a <br />turn of the neck. <br /><br />The music of the group comes from the first <br />century of their era, a time of the Lapita <br />culture, enriched later with contacts with <br />Polynesia, the Aborigines of Austrailia and <br />other islands of Melanesia. <br /><br />BECIM<br /><br />From the South Pacific Island of New Caledonia, <br />Becim presents a collection of reggae and <br />pop-influenced island music. Mixed with Latin <br />percussion and beautiful vocal harmonies, Becim <br />gives an unexpected look at Pacific Island music. <br /><br />FEATURE ARTISTS<br /><br />YOTHU YINDI<br /><br />Yothu Yindi have their origins in the Yolngu<br />homelands of the Aboriginal people Arnhem <br />Land, on the north-east coast of Australia's <br />Northern Territory. This is an area that the <br />Yolngu have occupied and protected since <br />their people first arrived on the vast Australian <br />continent perhaps 40,000 years or more ago. <br /><br />The Yolngu members of the band celebrate <br />their deep spiritual connections with the land, <br />connections that are kept alive through song, <br />dance and ceremony. These are reflected in <br />the band's recordings and live performances <br />which are essentially a pleasing fusion of their <br />traditional music and dance with contemporary <br />western music. <br /><br />The name of the band translates as "mother <br />and child", and is essentially a kinship term <br />used by the Yolngu people of the Northern <br />Territory's Arnhem Land. The group's central <br />figure Mandawuy Yunupingu and clansman <br />Witiyana Marika gathered other aboriginal <br />musicians and dancers to form Yothu Yindi, <br />a troupe initially created to perform at cultural <br />events both in Australia and internationally. <br /><br />Yothu Yindi's first album, 'Homeland Movement' <br />comprised politicized rock on one side. The <br />other side of the album concentrated on <br />traditionally based songs like 'Djapana' (Sunset <br />Dreaming), written by former teacher Mandawuy <br />Yunupingu.Mandawuy's family has a long and <br />proud tradition in the struggle for aboriginal <br />land rights. Mandawuy Yunupingu was named 1992 <br />Australian of The Year. <br /><br />Yothu Yindi are a unique group that will always be <br />Yothu Yindi. No matter how you combine Yolgnu <br />culture in pop, rock or dance music what counts are <br />the lyrics and the unique access to 40,000 years of <br />Aboriginal history and tradition. This is what makes <br />the groups contribution to popular music culture <br />such a valuable one.<br />* * * * * * * * * *<br />For further information, please check out the <br />following four Domains:<br /><br />http://www.janeresture.com/index.htm<br />http://www.janesoceania.com/index.html<br />http://www.ourpacificocean.com/index.htm<br />http://www.pacificislandsradio.com/index.htm<br /><br />Thank you everybody. I wish you all a great day!Jane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-19988737871532835992010-09-10T17:09:00.000-07:002010-09-10T17:12:59.775-07:00Our Pacific Ocean - About RubbishWelcome everybody to Jane's blog where you are invited to share your thoughts and experiences about our beautiful Pacific Ocean. I do not want to start out on a negative note, however, I would like to thank those people who have written in expressing concern about the amount of litter that they have encountered in various parts of the Pacific.These comments are of particular concern in the light of recent reports describing the Pacific Ocean as the world's largest rubbish dump - a vast area of floating plastic debris and other flotsam drifting in the northern Pacific Ocean, held there by swirling ocean currents.<br /><br />Often referred to as the great Pacific garbage patch, it is now alarming some with its ever-growing size and possible impact on human health.The "patch" is, in fact, two huge linked areas of circulating rubbish, stretching from about 500 nautical miles off the coast of California, across the northern Pacific to near the coast of Japan. Almost twice the size as continental United States, the islands of Hawaii are placed almost in the middle, so piles of plastic are regularly washed up on some beaches there. The concentration of floating plastic debris just beneath the ocean's surface is the product of underwater currents, which conspire to bring together all the junk - an estimated 100 million tonnes of plastic - that accumulates in the Pacific Ocean. Studies have indicated that about 20 per cent of the junk is thought to come from marine craft, while the rest originates from countries around the Pacific like Mexico, Australia and China. The waste forms in what are called tropical gyres - areas where the oceans slowly circulate due to extreme high pressure systems and where there is little wind. Historically, flotsam in the gyres has biodegraded..But modern plastics do not break down like other oceanic debris, meaning objects half a century old have been found in the North Pacific Gyre. Rather the plastic slowly photodegrades, becoming brittle and disintegrating into smaller and smaller pieces which enter the food chain and end up in the stomachs of birds and other animals. This is certainly a very sorry state of affairs as the small plastic particles acted like a sponge to trap many dangerous man-made chemicals that found their way into the ocean, like hydrocarbons and DDT. Eventually what goes into the ocean goes into the animals and eventually enters the human food chain exposing people worldwide to possible serious longer term health problems. Indeed syringes, cigarette lighters and tooth brushes from the "patch" have been found inside the carcases of sea birds.<br /><br />The health of our planet depends upon many factors including the health of our vast Pacific Ocean. Certainly, the health of this beautiful Ocean cannot be improved if it continues to be used as nothing more than a convenient garbage dump.<br /><br />You are invited to visit Jane Resture's Oceania Blog at:<br />http://janeresturesblog.blogspot.com/<br /><br />For further infomation, you are also invited to check out the following Domains:<br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com<br />www.pacificislandsradio.comJane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-35263974721095854362010-09-10T10:05:00.000-07:002010-09-10T10:21:35.590-07:00Traditional Music Of PolynesiaWelcome Everybody!<br /><br />It will be my great pleasure to be able to discuss, <br />at least in a much broader outline, a little more <br />about the beautiful traditional music of Polynesia. <br />This will be in the context of the origins and the <br />early migration of the Polynesian people. The word <br />"Polynesia" means "many islands" - it comes from <br />the Greek words 'poly' which means many and <br />'nesos' which means "island". <br /><br />Polynesia is a group of island chains spread <br />across much of the Pacific Ocean, and includes <br />many countries and territories. Internationally, <br />Polynesian music is mostly associated with <br />twinkling guitars and grass skirts, Hawaiian hula <br />and other tourist-friendly forms of music. While <br />these elements are justifiably a part of Polynesian <br />history and culture, there is actually a wide variety <br />of music made in the far-flung reaches of Polynesia.<br /><br />Interestingly, recent studies of DNA in Taiwan has <br />provided some interesting conclusions about the <br />origins of the Polynesian and Melanesian people. <br /><br />Certainly, linguistic studies have pointed to <br />the fact that the Polynesians, undoubtedly the<br />greatest seafarers in history, have their <br />origins in Taiwan. <br /><br />Of the 23 million people in Taiwan, only <br />400,000 are descendants from the original <br />inhabitants. These people originally spoke <br />a language belonging to the Austronesian <br />group which is unrelated to Chinese but <br />includes the Polynesian tongues. <br /><br />DNA studies of the original group found <br />three mutations shared by Taiwanese, <br />Polynesians and Melanesians, who also <br />speak Austronesian. These mutations are<br />not found in other Asians and hence suggest<br />that the Polynesians and Melanesians have<br />their origins in the original inhabitants <br />of Taiwan. <br /><br />Certainly, human occupation of Oceania - <br />those vast reaches of the Pacific encompassing <br />Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia - began <br />on Papua and Papua New Guinea. It is on here <br />that archaeologists have dug primitive stone <br />tools and charcoal more than 25,000 years old <br />from camp sites used during the last Ice Age, <br />when sea levels were lower and the distances <br />between Australia, Papua New Guinea and the <br />other Indonesian islands were much less.<br /><br />When melting ice raised the level of the <br />ocean and increased distances between land <br />falls, Papua New Guinea and its dark-skinned <br />inhabitants - Melanesians - became more<br />isolated until the coming of the brown-skinned <br />people - out of island Asia - Indonesia, the <br />Philippines and Taiwan. <br /><br />In their outrigger and double canoes with sails <br />of plaited leaves, the latter reached New Guinea <br />and nearby islands about 4,500 years ago, but <br />did not dislodge the Melanesians they found <br />already living there. Among these seafarers were <br />the ancestors of the Polynesians. Using Fiji as <br />a staging area, some eventually sailed on to <br />uninhabited Tonga and Samoa.<br /><br />Indeed, to have developed the physical types, <br />language, and culture that the Polynesians share <br />in common, these Polynesian forebears must <br />have been isolated for a time in a home group <br />of islands. A chain of archaeological discoveries <br />leads us to believe that this isolation started <br />in the islands of Tonga and Samoa roughly 3,000 <br />years ago. Radiocarbon of Lapita pottery has <br />suggested that Tonga is the longest-inhabited <br />island group in Polynesia, with radiocarbon <br />dates as early as 1140 B.C. Thus we conclude <br />that Tonga's first settlers, the people who made <br />Lapita ware, were the first true Polynesians.<br /><br />Language ties indicate that this migration <br />continued via Samoa eastward to the <br />Marquesas, where the oldest sites in Eastern <br />Polynesia have been found. Far to the <br />southeast of the Marquesas lies evidence of <br />a truly remarkable feat - a voyage to Easter <br />Island, some 2,400 miles away, in the face <br />of prevailing winds and currents. Polynesia's <br />easternmost outpost, Easter Island, is not <br />only the most isolated inhabited island in the<br />Pacific, but it is only 15 miles long.<br /><br />The sites on Easter Island show clear evidence <br />when considered in conjunction with the <br />archaeology and languages of the Society and <br />Marquesas Islands indicate strongly that the <br />pre-historic culture of Easter Island could <br />have evolved from a single landing of <br />Polynesians from a Marquesan island, fully <br />equipped to colonise an uninhabited volcanic <br />island. Their success in making this windswept <br />sixty-four square miles, without an edible native <br />plant, not only habitable but also the seat of <br />remarkable cultural achievements, is testimony <br />to the genius of these Polynesian settlers. <br /><br />A study of excavated adzes, fish hooks, <br />ornaments and other artefacts indicates that <br />Tahiti and the other Society Islands must <br />have been settled soon after the Marquesas. <br />Present information indicates that Hawaii and <br />New Zealand were settled after A.D. 500. <br />Radiocarbon techniques permit us to assign <br />tentative dates to this entire Pacific migration: <br />entry into West Polynesia about 1000 B.C., <br />reaching East Polynesia about the time of <br />Christ completing the occupation by <br />A.D.1000. <br /><br />In central and eastern Pacific is a large triangular <br />area referred to as the Polynesian Triangle.<br />The triangle is formed by a line drawn from Hawaii <br />to new Zealand, bending westward to include the <br />Ellice Islands (Tuvalu) and passing between Fiji <br />and Tonga. This north to south forms the base. <br />Easter Island is the apex, located 4,000 miles to <br />the east. The Marquesas lie almost to the center <br />of the eastern line; from Easter in the south to <br />Hawaii in the north. Samoa, Tonga, Tahiti and <br />Cook islands are surrounded by the triangle. <br />New Zealand, the farthest south group of <br />Polynesian Islands.<br /><br />It was in the Polynesian Triangle that the unique <br />and beautiful Polynesian culture evolved over <br />hundreds and, indeed, thousands of years. The <br />striking unity of the languages spoken in these <br />different islands, as well as sufficient similarities <br />in their arts, culture, custom and tradition allow <br />the world scientists and anthropologists to agree <br />that the Polynesians are a racial unit. It is <br />also here that the beautiful traditional music of <br />Polynesia has its origins.<br /><br />The early music of Polynesia was composed <br />of rhythm instruments and vocals; they <br />comprise mainly chants without any harmonic <br />structure and without any oriental or occidental <br />influence. This early music was very fundamental <br />although some islands did use flutes and drums <br />to accompany their singing. <br /><br />As there was no written language to record the <br />history of the Pacific Islands, it was our beautiful <br />island music that provided one essential record <br />of our heritage and this was passed from generation <br />to generation. Besides the tales of migration and <br />wars, the daily life of our Pacific Island people <br />was chronicled in our music. Throughout most of <br />Polynesia, contemporary music has been influenced <br />by outside influences. The only major stronghold to <br />retain traditional culture without much evolution <br />has been Tonga, which has pursued a relatively <br />isolationist history.<br /><br />Throughout Tonga, traditional music has been <br />preserved in the set pieces performed at royal <br />and noble weddings and funerals, as well as in <br />the song sung during the traditional ceremony <br />of apology, the 'lou-ifi'.<br /><br />Radio Tonga begins each day's broadcast with <br />a recording by a nobleman and celebrated virtuoso <br />of the nose flute which is otherwise rarely heard. <br />Some ancient dances such as the ula are still <br />performed. The 'lali' or slit-gong, is still in use -- <br />as a substitute for a church bell by congregations <br />that cannot afford a bell.<br /><br />Generally throughout Polynesia, the lyrics of <br />traditional songs are by far more important <br />than the melodic accompaniment, as it is the <br />lyrics that contain the elements of our cultural <br />heritage that are being preserved such as the <br />stories of the people, genealogies, histories <br />and migrations. Elements like rhythm melody, <br />harmony and dance are traditionally viewed <br />as accompaniment to the primary focus, the <br />lyrics, serving to embellish, illustrate and <br />decorate the words. <br /><br />It is important to remember, however, that song <br />and dance are integral parts of the same cultural <br />elements throughout Polynesia. In action songs, <br />dance is used to illustrate the lyrics by moving <br />the hands or arms; some dances are performed seated. <br />Traditionally, dance moves do not illustrate the <br />song's narrative, but rather draw attention to <br />specific words and themes; in modern times, <br />however, dances are more often explicitly narrative <br />in their focus. There are also traditional dances <br />performed without lyrics, to the accompaniment <br />of percussive music.<br /><br />The most important instrument is the voice, though <br />multiple varieties of slit drums and conch shells are <br />also popular; the human body is used as an instrument, <br />with clapping and knee-slapping used accompany songs <br />and dances. Other instruments include the pandanus, <br />a sitting mat that is also used as a percussion <br />instrument, nose flutes and, later, derivatives of <br />Portuguese guitars such as the ukulele and slack-key <br />guitar. <br /><br />In the 1790s, Christian missionaries arrived in <br />Polynesia for the first time. Hymns and other forms <br />of Christian music were instituted, and native musical <br />genres were largely driven underground and prohibited. <br />Soon, traditional polyphonic singing was merged with <br />Christian styles and church singing became an important <br />part of Polynesian culture across the Pacific.<br /><br />The music of Polynesian is the most well known music <br />from Oceania. It includes everything from the Hawaiian <br />hula and steel-guitar traditions to joyful, polyphonic <br />choral music of Tahiti. Though traditional instruments <br />such as slit-gongs and nose-flutes can be found throughout <br />the region, the voice has long been the most important <br />instrument among Polynesian peoples. Whether singing <br />Christian hymns imported by missionaries or traditional <br />songs such as the 'lakalaka' of Tonga that date back <br />generations, their choral music is unsurpassed. Also <br />important in Polynesian musical culture is dance, both <br />to accompany "action songs" such as the hula and the <br />'aparima' of Tahiti, or in the signature seated-dance <br />styles such as Western Samoa's 'ma'ulu'ulu'. Polynesia <br />also offers the unique music of New Zealand's Maori <br />people, whose legendary 'hakka' dance can still send <br />shivers down an onlooker's spine.<br /><br />I do hope that you have enjoyed this brief outline <br />of the origins of our traditional and beautiful <br />Polynesian music. In the next edition, it will be <br />my great pleasure to share with you a little more <br />information on the origins of the traditional music <br />of our beautiful Micronesia!<br /><br />FEATURE ARTISTS<br /><br />PACIFIC CHANTS: TRADITIONAL MUSIC <br />OF EASTERN POLYNESIA <br /><br />David Fanshawe presents important highlights <br />from his monumental Pacific Collections, recorded <br />over fourteen years (1978-1992). The selections <br />focus on the rich variety of authentic himene (hymns) <br />indigenous to Tahiti, the Cook Islands, the Society <br />Islands, the Austral Islands, Manihiki, Pukapuka, <br />Maupiti, Tahaa, Bora Bora, and Raivavae. The 20 <br />tracks include a valuable collection of traditional <br />music including, The Signing Reef 1 - 5, Legend <br />of Maupiti and Marae Arahurahu.<br /><br />RUIA AND RANEA<br /><br />The talented Maori twins, Ruia and Ranea Aperahama, <br />deliver a celebration of contemporary Maori music that <br />is performed completely in the Maori language. The <br />musical styles include reggae, soul, Latin rhythm elements, <br />and a strong spiritual theme that ties the album together, <br />giving it a natural Maori essence. <br /><br />SOUL PAUA <br /><br />Soul Paua are Jerry Banse and Turi Reedy. Jerry is <br />Samoan, Turei, a Maori. Their music is in te reo, <br />sometimes in English and a mix of rock, jazz, blues <br />folk and traditional Maori music. Their debut album <br />is based on the story of an urban young Maori prophet <br />and is currently being developed as a stage production. <br /> <br />The songs on the album follow the story of one man <br />from his birth, the troubles he is confronted with, <br />the prophetic abilities he discovers and how he <br />reflects on his journey. <br /> <br />The themes talk about the ability of anyone to <br />do anything at any time. The story is based on <br />the tales of Maui and the prophets - both of <br />which came from unlikely beginnings. Maui <br />was abandoned at birth and the prophets were <br />often considered rebels or on the outside of <br />decent society. <br /><br />That's all for now. I wish you all a wonderful <br />and prosperous day. Thank you.<br /><br />For further information, please check my four <br />Domains:<br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com<br />www.pacificislandsradio.comJane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-881625637964026882010-09-10T00:12:00.000-07:002010-09-10T00:14:36.865-07:00Overfishing Of Our OceansIt is rather disturbing to read that thirteen years after the world rallied to curb overfishing, most nations are failing to abide by the United Nation's "code of conduct" for managing fisheries. Australia, Norway, the United States, Canada, Iceland and Namibia were the only nations that scored above a 60 per cent compliance rate, the equivalent of a barely passing "D" grade, according to a marine scientist's research.<br />The global fisheries standards were developed in 1995 by the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) in Rome. Though voluntary, the 12-part code is based on rules of international law and some of it has been made into legally binding agreements. It was crafted to include all aspects of the fishing business, including processing and trade in fish products, aquaculture, marine research and coastal management, reducing pollution and harmful fishing practices. The code also has been translated into 100 languages to try to encourage people to follow it.<br />Sadly, a survey published in the journal 'Nature' raises troubling questions about how the world's marine fisheries can continue to supply the main source of protein for many on the Planet with the oceans being severely overfished.<br />A spokesman for the United Nation Environment Program said that overfishing shows nations' failure to address "fundamental links" between ecology and the daily needs of tens of millions of people. The spokesman went on to say that "It's absolutely clear that one of the great market failures of modern times is the management of the world's fisheries, and there are examples from almost every fishery across the globe where the fishing effort exceeds the available catch".<br />Indeed, it was two years ago, that a team of ecologists and economists warned in the journal 'Science' that just about all seafood sources face collapse by 2048 if current trends of overfishing and pollution continue.<br />There is no doubt that these findings present a serious problem for people worldwide and, in particular, for our Pacific Island people for whom fish stocks are an essential and only source of protein. Certainly, declining fish stocks may well make it impossible for our traditional island way of life to survive for much longer. <br /><br />For further information, please check out the following four Domains:<br /><br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com<br />www.pacificislandsradio.comJane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-34323586981186250882010-09-10T00:03:00.000-07:002010-09-10T00:25:01.997-07:00The Origin Of What Is Now Commonly Known As The Sweet PotatoFor many years, researches and scientists have speculated that ancient Pacific Island voyagers may have reached the shores of South America. Indeed, Arthur Grimble (later Sir Arthur Grimble), in an article in 'National Geographic Magazine' of January 1943, mentions a tradition among the Micronesian people of the Gilbert Islands (now the Republic of Kiribati), that one of their early adventurers reached the shores of the American continent, more than 4,500 miles away.<br /><br />The stories tell of one Raakau, the greatest of all Gilbertese navigators who reported a land that stretched along the eastern edge of the ocean, to northward without end, and to the southward without end. It was said that this land lies beyond the farthest eastward islands and it was a wall of mountains up against the place where the sun rises, standing over plains full of fertility. There is only one littoral in the Pacific that can be said to fit this description, and that is the western coast of the American continent.<br /><br />In addition, the late Professor Roland B. Dixon was convinced that the sweet potato reached Polynesia from America by the aid of human hands. He also concluded that the transference of the plant was carried out by Polynesians who had reached the Peruvian coast and had taken the valuable plant back with them to their island home. The Peruvian coast was specified because, in the Kechua dialet of north Peru, the name for the sweet potato is "kumar" and, in the Polynesian name for the plant is "kumara".<br /><br />In this respect, it is most interesting to see that a paper that recently appeared in the prestigious 'Proceedings of the National Academy of Science' provides the first hard evidence supporting the view that Polynesians did, in fact, sail all the way to the west coast of the American continent, at least a century before the arrival of Columbus.<br /><br />The key to this breakthrough was chicken bones found in Chile which were radiocarbon dated as approximately 600 years old. DNA testing revealed that the bones carried a rare mutation otherwise only found in chickens from Mele Havea, Tonga, and Fatu-ma-Futi, American Samoa. This evidence clearly indicates a pattern of interaction between Polynesians, long recognized as some of the world's finest sailors and navigators in times preceding Western contact, and South Americans. To put it simply, Polynesians not only made it to America before Columbus, but they apparently introduced the chicken to the continent, as well, with these fowls having a DNA identical to chickens found in Tonga and Tutuila, Samoa.<br /><br />Another interesting story relating to Polynesian voyagers comes from the study of the chemistry of ancient basalt adzes found in the Tuamotus in the 1930s. Scientists from the University of Queensland, in Australia, have definitely traced one of them to the island of Kahoolawe. The research, published in the Journal 'Science', confirms the view that ancient voyagers came to Hawaii from what is now French Polynesia, and then returned.<br /><br />Indeed, the early legends from Hawaii recount many voyages to and from Tahiti. In sailing south, the course was maintained by keeping the North Star directly astern. When the North Star sank into the sea, the star Newe was taken as the southern guide and the constellation of Humu was overhead. The last voyager mentioned in Hawaiian traditions was the priest Paao, who arrived from Ra'iatea in about 1275 A.D.<br /><br />In any event, it is pleasing to see that the modern scientific tools of DNA analysis and chemical testing are confirming so many of the early oral traditions of Pacific Island people. They are also confirming the view that the Polynesians are some of the finest canoe builders, sailors and navigators that the world has ever known.<br /><br />For further information, please check out my four Domains:<br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com<br />www.pacificislandsradio.comJane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-86001095192025190922010-09-09T23:44:00.000-07:002010-09-10T00:25:02.000-07:00Oceania Origins And Micronesian MusicWelcome Everybody!<br /><br />I would now like to discuss a little further <br />about the origins of the Polynesian and <br />Micronesian people, as well as the traditional <br />music of Micronesia. <br /><br />The islands of Micronesia include the Federated <br />States of Micronesia (Pohnpei, Kosrae, Chuuk <br />and Yap), Guam, Palau, Saipan, the Republic <br />of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of <br />Kiribati. Indeed, Micronesia means 'small <br />islands' and is derived from the Greek words <br />'mikros' which means small, and 'nesos' which <br />means island. This is a perfect way to <br />describe these over two thousand tropical <br />islands scattered across the heart of the <br />Pacific Ocean between Hawai'i and the Philippines. <br />They are spread over a great distance, yet <br />each has its own culture, history, customs, <br />rituals, myths and legends, ethnology, lifestyle <br />and topographical personality.<br /><br />The islands of Micronesia and Polynesia <br />collectively comprise the last major region <br />of the globe to be settled by humans. Both of <br />these groups of islands were colonized within <br />the last 5,000 years by Austronesian-speaking <br />agriculturists. In the past, linguistic studies <br />have been a major factor in suggesting the origins <br />of both the Micronesian and Polynesian people <br />who, in the main, are of medium stature with <br />straight hair and brown skin. <br /><br />One of the earliest records of the evidence <br />of Polynesian languages deriving from Asia <br />was that of the missionary, John Williams, <br />who, in 1840, published a range of Polynesian <br />words along with their Asian origins. In his <br />book, 'Missionary Enterprises In The South <br />Sea Islands' published in London by John <br />Snow in 1840, William ponders in Chapter XXIX <br />on the origins of the South Sea Islands. He <br />draws the distinction between the characteristics <br />of the Melanesians and those of the Polynesians <br />which he considered had Malay characteristics and <br />Indian social structure. These he took as clear <br />indications of the Asiatic origin of the Polynesian <br />people. He said, however, that the language spoken <br />by the Malays and the Polynesians was clear <br />evidence of the origins of the Polynesians. <br /><br />Certainly, it was common for anthropologists <br />to base past studies on linguistics. A study <br />of grammar and word lists allowed researchers <br />to establish degrees of correlation between <br />various Pacific Islanders. For example, the <br />Chamorro language is most closely related to <br />Bareic in Sulawesi based on a comparison of <br />standardized word lists. Linguists have <br />formulated theories of Pacific Island colonization <br />based on the similarity of languages including <br />P.S. Bellwood, who wrote the definitive work <br />on the peopling of the Pacific, relying heavily <br />on linguistic evidence. <br /><br />Recent research has suggested, however, that <br />DNA offers a better way to study the relationships <br />between Pacific Island people. There is a problem <br />in using language to predict relations among people <br />in that language is a culturally transmitted and <br />not a biological trait, whereas DNA is the genetic <br />material that determines biological inheritance. <br /><br />In a DNA study undertaken in 1994, Koji Lum <br />from The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, <br />Tokyo, Japan, collected head hair in Micronesia. <br />He used the head hair to obtain DNA samples. <br />The study was undertaken in order to compare <br />the genetic relationships of various Micronesian <br />groups to other Pacific Islanders and Asians and <br />their languages. The study examined DNA that <br />is found within mitochondria (mtDNA), small <br />cellular bodies that function as the energy <br />factories and storehouses of our cells. <br />Mitochondria are inherited from the body of the <br />mother's fertilized egg, and are transmitted <br />maternally to the next generation. Consequently, <br />this analysis ignores inheritance from a father.<br /><br />In general, this study found that the majority <br />of mtDNA sequences from Micronesian and <br />Polynesian populations are derived from Asia, <br />whereas others are inferred to have originated <br />in New Guinea. The data supported the concept <br />of an Island Southeast Asian origin and a <br />colonization route along the north coast of New <br />Guinea. The Marianas and the main island of <br />Yap appear to have been independently settled <br />directly from Island Southeast Asia, and both <br />have received migrants from Central-Eastern <br />Micronesia since then. Palau clearly demonstrates <br />a complex prehistory including a significant <br />influx of lineages from New Guinea. Thus genetic <br />similarities among Micronesian and Polynesian <br />populations result, in some cases, from a common <br />origin and, in others, from extensive gene flow. <br /><br />As well as showing that Micronesians and <br />Polynesians have a southeast Asian homeland, <br />studies based on DNA contributed by both <br />females and males to their offspring generally <br />indicate a greater degree of Melanesian heritage <br />for Polynesians and Micronesians. <br /><br />There are some exceptions, however, with the <br />results for Palau and Yap showing that the <br />mtDNA and linguistic relationships do not agree. <br />This can be interpreted in a number of ways and <br />suggests that Palau has been 'seeded' by people <br />with ancestral roots in island Southeast Asia and <br />Melanesia, as well as the more easterly parts of <br />Micronesia. <br /> <br />In addition, Chamorro mtDNA is very distinctive <br />when compared to other Micronesians and <br />Polynesians. This suggests that the Marianas have <br />a different settlement history than the rest of <br />Micronesia. Chamorros have not mixed much <br />with other Micronesians. The study suggests that <br />Chamorros and Aboriginal Malays have common <br />maternal ancestral origins in the distant past. <br />This was a time being before the Chamorros <br />were a distinctive group and before the colonization <br />of the Marianas by people whose descendants <br />would only later develop the way of living that <br />defined them as Chamorros. <br /> <br />Music and dance in Micronesia, though certainly <br />not the same as their Polynesian counterparts, are <br />closely related to them.With the exception of Truk <br />(Chuuk) in the central Carolines, which displays <br />traits of Melanesian and possibly Indonesian <br />influence, the music structure of all parts of <br />Micronesia is predominantly word-determined, as <br />is that of Polynesia. The songs of Micronesia tell <br />of legendary histories, genealogies and navigational <br />tales of the islands. Indeed, the music is based <br />around the mythology and ancient Micronesian <br />rituals which were handed down in a musical <br />context from one generation to the next.Certainly, <br />over generations, the traditional music of Micronesia <br />was composed utilizing mythology, magic, rituals <br />and closely guarded procedures. The music is very <br />voice oriented with chanting, stamping and body <br />percussion. <br /> <br />The musical instruments of Micronesia are few, <br />mainly as a consequence of limited material being <br />available throughout the small islands and atolls <br />of Micronesia..The shell trumpet and nose flute <br />are the most common, though standard flutes and <br />Jews harps are also found. A common idiophone <br />in Micronesia is a stick that is carried by men in <br />certain dances. The performers strike each others <br />sticks in the course of the choreography. <br />Membranophones are not very common, though <br />the hourglass single-headed drum like those played <br />in Papua New Guinea is found as far north as the <br />Marshall Islands. In keeping with the ecology of <br />atoll life, the skins of these drums are made from a <br />shark's belly or parts of the sting ray. Many atolls <br />of the Micronesian Pacific are without any <br />indigenous musical instruments whatsoever. <br /> <br />Dance movements are mainly of hands and arms <br />in accompaniment to poetry. In some islands, such <br />as Yap (in the western Carolines) and Kiribati, <br />there is a similar concern for rank in the placement <br />of dancers, as well as the emphasis on rehearsed <br />execution of songs and movements. But, although <br />movements and types of dance have a superficial <br />similarity to those of Polynesia, there are <br />differences. <br /><br />In the Yap empire, for example, dancers from Ulithi, <br />Woleai, and other islands performed and taught their <br />choreography and texts to the Yapese as tribute, <br />even though the dance texts were in languages <br />unintelligible to the Yapese dancers; the function <br />of movements was not to illustrate a story but to <br />decorate it. Instead of acknowledging a chief's <br />deed or genealogy, the Yapese dancers <br />demonstrated the overlordship of Yap to the <br />other islands. Even in Ifalik, where texts were <br />in their own language, the movements did not <br />interpret poetry but were apparently abstractly <br />decorative. The same is true for Kiribati. Thus, <br />Polynesian dance could be characterized as <br />illustration of poetry, and Micronesian dance <br />as decoration of poetry, while music in both <br />areas serves as an elevated form of audible <br />performance for poetry. <br /><br />FEATURE ARTISTS<br /><br />TIM SAMEKE AND THE WE CE CA<br />(Melanesia)<br /><br />Tim Sameke and his group, Wececa, are the <br />most popular dance troupe that produces shows <br />regularly in New Caledonia. Confident with this <br />popularity, they have recorded their first album <br />at the end of 1999. With the cover version of <br />one of Gurejele's hit, "Waipeipegu", Wececa <br />meets a huge success in the country and wish to <br />be the first band from New Caledonia to export <br />beyond the Pacific region<br /><br />SOMAI SERENADERS <br />(Melanesia)<br /><br />The Somai Serenaders from Savu-Savu, Fiji,<br />play a traditional string band style unique to <br />the islands. Every village, it seems, has its <br />own string band and that the Somai group is one <br />of the very best players. Their music is played <br />in a very ritualized fashion while sitting on <br />the floor or the ground around a large bowl filled <br />with kava juice. Kava is a local root that has <br />medicinal properties and leaves a mild narcotic <br />effect. <br /><br />We were immediately impressed by their music <br />and their stories of how their music is inspired <br />by nature, like the rhythm of the wind blowing <br />through the palm trees. Apenisa Waqa, the lead <br />guitarist told us 'Just imagine a couple of coconuts <br />floating on the water and from that we compose <br />a song'.The group's instrumentation is three guitars <br />and a ukulele with four male voices -- sung in a <br />soprano range. But Apenisa's improvisational <br />guitar leads were tasteful and full of ease. It was <br />almost as if the entire Fijian lifestyle of taking <br />things slowly was being expressed through his <br />fingers. <br /><br />They call their style of music 'Sigi Drigi' -- <br />singing and drinking. When asked about what he <br />would like the world to know about their music, <br />Apenisa replied: 'We didn't know we were good - <br />we just do this to make the kava taste better'. <br />This group has never been recorded before and, <br />in fact, this genre of Fijian.<br /><br />Thank you everybody and I wish you all the <br />very best in your important endeavours and<br />undertakings. Have a great and prosperous<br />day.<br /><br />For further information, please check my four Domains:<br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com<br />www.pacificislandsradio.comJane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-12612325591236729502010-09-09T23:28:00.000-07:002010-09-10T00:25:02.006-07:00Oceania - The Hawaiian Music And DanceWelcome Everybody!<br /><br />It will be my great pleasure to be able to spend <br />a little time discussing the relationship between <br />the traditional music and dance forms of Oceania <br />with particular reference to the beautiful <br />Hawaiian hula.<br /><br />In this respect there is often some confusion <br />as to which comes first, the music or the dance. <br />In a general sense it is fair to say that the <br />music, in the absence of any written language, <br />was one of the primary means by which much of <br />the cultural heritage of island people was <br />passed from one generation to the next. <br />Indeed the origins of traditional music are <br />generally quite obscure with the music having <br />been handed down by older folk to the younger <br />children. Composing traditional music involves <br />a considerable amount of ritualism and magic. <br /><br />The composer does not compose the music <br />himself, but rather the song or songs are given <br />to the composers in a mythical setting - possibly <br />in a dream or a trance. The task of the composer <br />is then to follow the secret methodology that <br />his/her predecessors had passed on to him/her <br />to produce a song that is regarded as being <br />magically blessed. <br /><br />In addition to traditional forms of music, the <br />second method of composing songs is one which <br />involves no magic and results from somebody <br />wishing to have a song made for him. In this <br />case, the person tells the story to be told to <br />the composer who listens intently and full of <br />concentration. At a later time, the composer <br />may ask for further information and the person <br />requesting the song must provide all the needed <br />details. The most commonly composed songs of this <br />nature are love songs. These are often about love <br />for someone you will never see again or a place <br />that you have left behind. <br /><br />The most popular ones, however, are about love <br />between a boy and a girl, a man and a woman or <br />a husband and a wife. <br /><br />The Polynesians are natural musicians and the <br />Samoans are no exception. They love to hear and <br />sing good music. Robert Louis Stevenson once said <br />that the Samoans composed a song for every trivial <br />occasion. . . Song is almost endless. The boatman <br />sings at the oar, the family at evening worship, <br />and the workman at his toil. No occasion is too <br />small for the poets and the musicians; a death, a <br />visit, the day's news and pleasantries will be set <br />to rhyme and harmony. <br /><br />In this context, the dance forms resulting from the <br />music becomes an exciting visual and artistic <br />interpretation of this cultural heritage, including <br />love songs, conveyed by the music. Older style dancing <br />motions are slow, swaying and interpretive. Chants <br />and old poems are sung and recited on special <br />occasions. They are often referred to in speeches <br />and debates. They are also used to figure the time <br />of past historical events. The faataupati (clapping <br />in syncopation dance) is accompanied by ancient <br />war songs and drums. <br /><br />Ancient and modern Samoan dances do not <br />use songs in three-four tempo. Most of the <br />songs composed for single or group dancers <br />are in four-four and two-four tempos. Drums <br />have often been used to accompany the <br />ancient dancers. <br /><br />The early Tuvaluans, untouched by western <br />influences and aspirations, highly valued their <br />traditional singing and dancing. Apart from <br />simply providing entertainment, the fakanau <br />and fakaseasea, which were formerly very <br />popular form for dance, were composed to <br />commemorate the reign of an aliki or toa, <br />or to praise certain outstanding figures for <br />their skills in canoe building, fishing, house <br />building or for their wealth or bravery within <br />the community. <br /><br />The fakanau which has a tune that is <br />between speech and singing was performed <br />while dancers are standing on their feet. <br />The rhythm of the fakanau is much quicker <br />than those of the fakaseasea and the present <br />day fatele. With the arrival of the <br />missionaries, because of the wide swaying <br />movements and actions required in the fakanau <br />were considered to be sexually stimulating, <br />efforts were made to put an end to this <br />kind of dancing. At first it was difficult, <br />but as more and more people came to accept <br />the new religious beliefs the pastors <br />became powerful and influential figures <br />who ultimately dominated the rights of the <br />aliki. Because of this the fakanau, which <br />the pastors regarded as evil dancing, <br />gradually declined until it disappeared <br />completely. <br /><br />The fakaseasea is said to be as old as the <br />fakanau. This type of dancing is still <br />performed nowadays by elders. Unlike the <br />fakanau, the fakaseasea is sung much slower <br />to a lovely tune and has one or two <br />performers dancing on their feet. Normally <br />the fakaseasea requires no uniformity of <br />actions but the performers are free to make <br />actions which express the meanings of the <br />words. The survival of the fakaseasea up to <br />the present time is due to the fact that the <br />first pastors, fascinated by the lovely tune <br />and the gentle slow actions of the fakaseasea, <br />did not do anything to stop people from <br />performing it. However, in the early days the <br />unique fakanau did not only play an important <br />part in social entertainment but also in <br />worshipping. The faleaitu (house for gods) in <br />which the people worshipped their gods is <br />where one could hear different rituals and <br />fakanau. There were specially composed <br />fakanau which could convey to the gods the <br />worshippers' gratitude together with pleas for <br />mercy. During communal work such as digging <br />of pulaka pits the women sang and danced on <br />the banks while the men were busy digging. <br />In this way singing and dancing encouraged the <br />men and stopped them from getting tired easily. <br /><br />Robert Louis Stevenson also wrote of Kiribati <br />Mwaie (Ruoia) that was performed on Butaritari: <br />"Of all they call dance in the Pacific, the <br />performance I saw on Butaritari was easily the <br />best...Gilbertese dance appeals to the soul: it <br />makes one thrill with emotion, it uplifts one, it <br />conquers one: it has the essence of all great art: <br />an immediate and far from exhausted appeal". <br /><br />In Hawaii, traditional chants fall into two broad <br />categories referred to as mele oli and mele hula. <br />Before the arrival of Europeans in Hawai'i, the <br />term mele was used to mean "poetic language;"<br />it has since evolved to mean song. In early <br />Hawai'i, there was no melodic singing. Special <br />bards, or haku mele, spent years learning to <br />compose, recite and teach others to perform <br />the ancient chants, beginning their training <br />while still children. <br /><br />Mele oli are chants unaccompanied by any <br />instrument that are generally performed by <br />one individual; while mele hula are chants <br />accompanied by dance or by dance and <br />musical instruments. Mele hula are often <br />performed by more than one person. Indeed, <br />there are dozens of kinds of chants, formal <br />and informal for specific occasions: mele pule <br />or prayer chants; mele inoa, an individual's <br />name chant; mele koihonua, which recounts <br />a person's genealogy; mele he'e nalu, a surfing <br />chant. There were chants of angst, chants to <br />grumble or praise, chants of affection, chants <br />to make a request of someone.<br /><br />The power (mana) of a chant, lies in its <br />hidden meanings, or kaona. Hidden meanings, <br />such as rain as a metaphor for love, could <br />make a chant both a recounting of an actual <br />event within a family's history, or it could <br />tell of the love and passion that one person <br />might feel for another, depending on who <br />heard and understood the chant.<br /><br />As the missionary influence became stronger <br />in the islands and the use of the Hawaiian <br />language was forbidden in public schools <br />in 1896, the art of chanting diminished and <br />indeed, many of the old chants have sadly <br />been lost forever. Fortunately, in the last <br />decade, a renaissance of pride in the <br />Hawaiian culture and the rebirth of the <br />Hawaiian language through immersion <br />classes for youngsters have brought <br />about a revival of chanting. <br /><br />Unfortunately, in Hawaii, as in much of the <br />Pacific, the missionaries also did their best <br />to destroy the native dance forms, and, in <br />particular, the "lewd and lascivious Hawaii <br />hula". But they wrote detailed accounts of <br />the dances in their diaries, and these, <br />ironically, have provided a basis for the <br />current revival of the ancient and beautiful <br />hula.<br /><br />In this context it is certainly pleasing to <br />see that Kulia i ka Punawai--Kumu Hula <br />Association of Southern California (a <br />non-profit organization of kumu hula--master <br />hula instructors--dedicated to perpetuation <br />of hula) has produced a new and exciting CD . <br />Titled "Kalakaua," the CD presents <br />contemporary settings of historical poetic <br />repertoire that honours Hawai'i's King David <br />Kalakaua. The centrepiece is a set of 15 mele <br />composed for Kalakaua's Birthday Jubilee in <br />1886, and published in the Hawaiian-language <br />newspapers. The CD contains the work of <br />some twelve award-winning kumu hula who <br />live and teach throughout Southern California. <br />Every one of the 15 mele is by a different <br />kumu hula, and the finale of the set, as well <br />as one other track on the CD, are mass numbers <br />in which all kumu hula participated. All texts <br />and translations are included with the CD, as <br />well as a historical essay. The CD should be <br />available through Amazon.com and also even <br />iTunes. In the mean time you are invited to <br />visit Punawai's temporary website at<br />http://sitemaker.umich.edu/punawai<br /><br />It is certainly worth mentioning that this project <br />represents unprecedented collaborative effort <br />of hula practice and scholarly research. The <br />scale of historical reconstruction exceeds <br />anything undertaken to date. The results are <br />indeed a remarkable testament to the strength <br />and depth of the tradition of the magnificent <br />Hawaii hula in the 21st century.<br /><br />That's all for now. I wish you all a wonderful <br />and prosperous day.<br /><br />For further information, please check my four Domains:<br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com<br />www.pacificislandsradio.comJane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-55802402247724488012010-09-09T15:57:00.000-07:002010-09-10T00:25:02.010-07:00The Music Of The New Zealand MaoriWelcome Everybody!<br /><br />I would like to talk a little about the <br />music and, in particular, the traditional <br />music of the New Zealand Maori. <br /><br />Certainly, the music of the New Zealand <br />Maori, ranging from diva Dame Kiri Te <br />Kanawa to traditional choirs and popular <br />music stars, have gained an appreciative <br />worldwide audience.<br /><br />The New Zealand Maori are, of course,<br />Polynesian, and have lived in New<br />Zealand ever since approximately the <br />eleventh century A.D. They refer to their <br />homeland as Aotearoa, The Land of the <br />Long White Cloud. In terms of the origins <br />of the Maori, modern evidence, including <br />DNA analysis, confirms the opinion that <br />modern man, in the form of Homo sapiens, <br />first came out of Africa as early as 160,000 <br />years ago. Of the pioneers who moved <br />across Asia, one group moved south-east <br />down through the Indo-Malaysian archipelago,<br />crossing over into Australia during a brief <br />window of opportunity 65,000 years ago <br />when water levels dropped. They also <br />reached Papua, also possibly as early as <br />65,000 years ago, eventually moving from <br />there across the Pacific.<br /><br />Archaeologists believe that Polynesian people <br />came from a small central group that spoke the <br />Austronesian language on the island of Taiwan. <br />Genetic studies have also now indicated that <br />the ancestors of this group were the sailors <br />of the great canoes who started out on their <br />journey further back along the trail in eastern <br />Indonesia.<br /><br />Researchers in New Zealand have also recently <br />concluded that the male and female ancestors <br />of Maori people came from different places. <br />The team, from Victoria University in Wellington,<br />New Zealand, have found that Maori women <br />have genetic markers that suggest their ancestors <br />came from mainland South-east Asia, probably <br />about 6,000 years ago. As they travelled south <br />from island to island, it appears that Melanesian <br />men joined the men and women on the boat, <br />with a small group of people eventually arriving <br />in New Zealand via the Polynesian triangle, <br />about 1,000 years ago.<br /><br />Indeed, the word Polynesia, which means many <br />islands, comes from the Greek words 'poly' <br />which means 'many' and 'nesos' which means <br />'island'. Polynesia stretches in a huge triangle <br />from New Zealand in the southwest to Easter<br />Island, 8,000 kilometres away in the southeast <br />and up to Hawaii at its northern point. The <br />Polynesian people are lighter skinned and are <br />generally taller than the Melanesian and <br />Micronesian people.<br /><br />The Maori view of creation in which all nature <br />was seen as a great kinship tracing its origins <br />back to a single pair, the Sky Father and the <br />Earth Mother, was a conception which they <br />brought with them when they came from <br />Central Polynesia about 1,000 A.D. <br />Furthermore, this belief in a primal pair, as <br />well as the metaphysical idea of an original <br />Void or Darkness, seems to be part of the <br />stock of ideas which the ancestors of the <br />Polynesians brought with them from the <br />west, from the Asian mainland, and which <br />they carried with them as they dispersed <br />into marginal Polynesia. The resultant shift <br />in names and attributes, and the elaboration <br />of themes which occurred throughout the<br />area certainly cannot obscure this underlying <br />unity of ideas.<br /><br />The name 'Maori' is derived from Ma-Uri, <br />which means 'Children of Heaven'. Their <br />nickname is 'Vikings of the Sunrise', because <br />they are fierce warriors. Originally, they were <br />hunters, but soon became peasants, living off<br />agriculture. Today, approximately 300.000 <br />Maori are mainly living in the cities, but they <br />remain closely connected to their tribes. Their <br />tribal groupings are derived from the people <br />of each canoe, settling New Zealand in the <br />early times.<br /><br />Traditional Maori villages are fortified with <br />an open space in the centre, called the 'marae',<br />on which the meeting house or 'whare hui' is <br />located. This building represents the symbolic <br />body of the ancestor. Around the fort sites,<br />a palisade with watch tower is built. In these <br />watch towers are suspended alarm gongs <br />comprising huge wooden plates referred to <br />as 'pahu'.<br /><br />The Maori religion is closely related to nature <br />and to the ancestors. Nature itself is considered <br />a living being and thus the interaction between <br />man and nature is bound by prescripts and <br />rituals. The notion 'tapu' (sacred), from which <br />the word 'tabu' is deduced, is still a central <br />notion in contemporary Maori society.<br /><br />Tiki are anthropomorphic ornaments representing <br />spiritual beings. Many times they have some kind <br />of deformation, like only 3 fingers and they can <br />be both positive and negative towards mankind.<br /><br />Much of the Maori religion remains intact and many <br />rituals associated with traditional visual arts and <br />traditional music are still carried out with strong <br />ties between songs and magic still remaining. <br />Traditional Maori music, in the main, only used <br />aerophones and idiophones to support the vocals.<br /><br />Aerophones were mainly of the following types. <br />Koauau, which can be made out of different <br />materials: wood or even a human bone. It is a <br />straight blown flute, blown under an angle, 12 to <br />15 cm long and with a bore of 1 to 2 cm. When <br />the instrument isn't played, it's worn around the <br />neck. It has 3 finger holes.<br /><br />Porutu is a flute similar to the koauau but <br />longer: it measures between 30 and 40 cm. <br />There is doubt about wether it is an original <br />Maori instrument or an imitation of the western <br />flute. Nguru is a small instrument (8 to 10 cm). <br />It is curved at one end, because originally this <br />flute was made out of a whale tooth. It can also <br />be made out of wood, stone, clay. It has one <br />open end like the koauau and one small <br />opening at the curved end. It has 2 to 4 finger <br />holes.<br /><br />Whio is a bone flute made out of an albatross <br />bone. The instrument is 15 cm long, has a <br />diameter of 1.5 cm and 4 finger holes. The <br />instrument was played by men in order to <br />attract the attention of women they longed for. <br />Puukaaea is a wooden war trumpet, made out <br />of two pieces of wood cut lengthwise and<br />hollowed out. Both pieces are again assembled <br />and kept in place by fibres or ropes. The length <br />varies between 1m and 2,5 meter. At one side <br />there is a sculptured wooden mouthpiece and <br />the other side of the instrument is broader <br />and resembles an open mouth. Inside tohu are <br />sculptures, representing the human tonsils and <br />uvula. The puukaaea could be used during the <br />war as a megaphone or as an alarm instrument.<br /><br />Puutoorino, which is often referred to as a <br />bugle-flute instead of trumpet, because the <br />instrument could also be used as a flute, but <br />originally it was a trumpet. It is about 30 to <br />60 cm long and is made as the puukaaea out <br />of two pieces of wood, but here widest in the <br />middle and more narrow at both end sides. <br />In the middle are sound holes, mostly in the <br />shape of an eight, are made as the open <br />mouth of a sculptured face. Near the <br />mouthpiece, another face is carved, or a <br />tiki (men/spirit) or a manaia (men/bird). The <br />player placed his hand over the sound hole <br />in order to change the tones of the instrument. <br />Originally, this instrument was mainly used to <br />announce the coming and arrival of a tribal <br />chief.<br /><br />Teetere are flax trumpets simply made by <br />winding a leaf to a horn shape. It was <br />probably a children's toy, but could also be <br />used to announce one's arrival in the village. <br />Non-blown aerophones include the <br />Puurorohuu which is a bullroarer made out <br />of a piece of wood. By swinging the bullroarer <br />around, a roaring sound is produced which it <br />was thought would bring rain. The idiophone <br />used comprised the following. Pahuu are <br />wooden gongs: flat slabs of resonant wood, <br />which were horizontally suspended above a <br />platform in the watch tower of the palisade <br />around the fortified village. It was hit in <br />case of danger, but also used to call the men <br />to go to war.Some tribes, living in the woods, <br />carved their war pahuu out of a hollow tree. <br />The wooden slab was sometimes cut away <br />and separated from the tree or sometimes it <br />remained a fixed part of the tree.<br /><br />Paakuru is an instrument, which is held <br />between the teeth of the player, can be <br />compared to a jew's-harp. It comprised a <br />simple piece of wood of 40 to 50 cm long, <br />2 to 5 cm broad and 1 cm thick, struck by <br />a little wooden stick. The sound is changed <br />by the position of the mouth and the <br />movements of the lips. Nowadays, the <br />paakuru knows a revival as a whalebone <br />paakuru. Rooria are similar to paakuru, but <br />smaller: only 7 to 10 cm long. Maori lovers <br />use it for intimate conversations. Finally, <br />Tokere are whalebones used as clappers.<br /><br />The traditional vocal music can be divided <br />in two categories: the recitatives and the <br />songs. The recitatives have no fixed pitch <br />organisation and the tempo is much higher <br />than the song's tempo. Among the recitatives <br />is a welcome ceremony known as Powhiri. <br />This welcome ceremony is a mixed form.<br />Men shout fiercely, whilst women sing in a <br />melodic way. The Powhiri often starts with <br />the men standing in front of the women. The <br />men make clear they are ready for a battle <br />by shouting, menacing with their weapons <br />and grimacing. After a while, the women <br />gently come to the front, singing and carrying <br />green leaves. The men kneeled down on one <br />knee and put their weapons on the floor. <br />Most of the time a Powhiri ends with a haka <br />(men song) without weapons.<br /><br />Haka are shouted speeches by men, combined <br />with a fierce dance. Haka Taparahi are <br />performed without weapons and they can give <br />expression to different emotions depending <br />on the situation for which they are performed. <br />Haka Peruperu are performed with weapons <br />and associated with war dances.<br /><br />Another form of recitative is known as Ngeri <br />and is used to annihilate any form of tapu. <br />Other forms of recitatives are Karakia which <br />are quick incantations and spells.They are used <br />during daily life by both adults and children, but <br />also during rituals. The ritual karakia is difficult <br />and dangerous to execute, because a mistake <br />during the performance will attract bad luck, <br />illness and even the death of the reciter. For <br />very important karakia, two priest reciters <br />are needed in order to alternate the breathing<br />pause, because even the slightest moment of <br />silence could result into disaster. Paatere are <br />mainly performed in group and composed by <br />women in answer to gossip. The texts of <br />paatere consist merely out of summing up <br />of the kinship connections of the author. <br />Kaioraora are like paatere answers to <br />gossip but with a rude, offensive text<br /><br />The second form of traditional music are <br />Songs and the Sung Poetry, also called Nga <br />Moteatea, which often consist mainly of <br />laments, but sometimes also consist of love <br />songs and lullabies. Traditionally, sung <br />poetry of this form was accompanied by a <br />koauau flute.<br /><br />Traditional songs comprise the following <br />forms: Poi, which are songs accompanied <br />by a form of dance in which women hit their <br />body rhythmically with one or two mainly <br />cotton balls attached to the end of a string. <br />Oriori, which are songs composed to teach <br />children of high rank about their special<br />descent and history.Pao are songs originating <br />out of a kind of instant-composing: the <br />composer sings the first couplet and is then <br />repeated by the chorus, and so on. These <br />are songs of local interest. They can be <br />funny or serious.Waiata is the most common <br />category of Maori songs and comprise<br />laments about different topics. Traditionally,<br />waiata are sung in groups and in unisono.<br /><br />Waiata tangi are laments for the dead. The <br />word 'tangi' means 'weeping'. This form is <br />mainly composed by women. During burial <br />ceremonies, women were expected to show <br />signs of deep grief, for example, by <br />wounding their faces with sharp stones. <br />Sometimes, these waiata were very personal, <br />telling about the composer's emotions and <br />feelings towards the dead. When composed <br />by men, the waiata tangi can also instruct us <br />about the warrior qualities of the dead person. <br />They can also, for example, allude to most of <br />the calamities that can befall mankind.<br /><br />Finally, waiata ahore are love songs, and <br />waiata whaiaaipo are songs for the beloved <br />one. They are often still laments and tell <br />us about all the misery that a love affair <br />can provoke.<br /><br />There is little doubt that Maori music, like <br />that of other Pacific Islanders, has changed <br />under the influence of western culture. In <br />this respect, it is most pleasing to see, next <br />to the commercialisation, a strong revival of <br />the traditional Maori music, along with a <br />growing pride in the beautiful traditional <br />Maori culture.<br /><br />FEATURE ARTIST<br /><br />PAPUA NEW GUINEA STRINGBANDS <br /><br />Papua New Guinea Stringbands CD Songs <br />Of The Volcano is a fascinating, raw and <br />unique sound from five villages in East New <br />Britain with five different Tolai stringbands.. <br />Papua New Guinea is home to a huge <br />indigenous population speaking more than <br />800 languages, it laid largely undiscovered <br />until the late nineteenth and early twentieth <br />centuries, and hence is one of the last <br />places on the planet to have guitars arrive <br />from afar. Rabaul, in Papua New Guinea's <br />far flung province of East New Britain, is a <br />town which has had its share of hard times. <br />In the same century, it has been destroyed <br />twice by massive volcanic cataclysms and<br />once by a devastating war imposed on it <br />by outsiders. The Tolai people of Rabaul <br />have suffered greatly from these natural <br />and manmade disasters and yet, somehow, <br />have always managed to bounce back and <br />keep their spirits high. One of the main <br />contributing factors to their capacity for <br />optimism is their music, an energetic and <br />unique blend of voices and instruments <br />performed by the community's local <br />stringbands. <br /><br />The music carries a fragile innocence <br />and beauty reminiscent of what guitar <br />music may have sounded like, in Hawaii <br />in 1860, or Mexico in 1830. Most music <br />travelled throughout the Pacific Ocean <br />on boats, with sailors leaving behind <br />instruments and ideas to then percolate <br />in isolation. Hence, the music on this <br />album will seem at once exotic, yet <br />somehow familiar.Even today, there is <br />still very little mass media penetration <br />in Papua New Guinea, though that is <br />changing, and thus makes the <br />preservation of the traditional music <br />even more necessary. Material from <br />this CD is being proudly featured on <br />our Pacific Islands Radio, and it is <br />highly recommended for those who <br />enjoy vibrant and compelling guitar<br />music performed from the heart.<br /><br />That's all for now my friends. I wish<br />you a wonderful day with a prosperous <br />and happy weekend. See you all later.<br /><br />For further information, please check out my four Domains:<br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com<br />www.pacificislandsradio.comJane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-71869815226995045392010-09-09T15:43:00.000-07:002010-09-10T00:25:02.016-07:00Some Interesting Melanesian And Aboriginal MusicWelcome Everybody!<br /><br />I would like to share with you some thoughts <br />on the traditional and modern music, as well <br />as dance forms of New Caledonia. As you well <br />know, New Caledonia is a multi-cultural society, <br />the original inhabitants are Melanesians with<br />links to Papuans and Australian Aborigines, <br />and they often refer to themselves as <br />'Ti-Va-Ouere', or 'Brothers of the Earth'. <br /><br />There are an estimated 27 Kanak languages <br />coexisting in New Caledonia. However, after <br />being actively discouraged - or at least ignored - <br />by the French, there is no single unifying <br />Kanak language. The clan, not the individual, <br />was the most important element of traditional <br />Kanak culture, and la coûtume, a code <br />encompassing rites, rituals and social interaction <br />between the clans, is the essential component <br />of Kanak identity today. It also maintains a <br />crucial link with the individual's ancestors. <br /><br />The later inhabitants are often referred to as <br />'Caldoches', or 'White New Caledonians', are <br />mostly descended from French convicts and have <br />forged their own culture, more akin to that of <br />rural Australians or rural Americans than the<br />metropolitan French.<br /><br />As mentioned above, the indigenous Melanesian <br />inhabitants of New Caledonia are the Kanak <br />(formerly also 'Canaque'), and comprise 45% of <br />the total population of New. Caledonia. The word <br />is derived from kanaka maoli, a Hawaiian word <br />which was, at one time, applied indiscriminately by <br />European explorers, traders and missionaries in the <br />region to any non-European Pacific islander. Prior <br />to European contact, there was no unified state in <br />New Caledonia, and no single self-appellation used <br />to refer to its inhabitants.<br /><br />Other words have been coined from Kanak in the <br />past few generations: Kanaky is an ethno-political <br />name for the island or the entire territory. Kanéka <br />is a musical genre associated with the Kanak, <br />stylistically a form of reggae with added flutes, <br />percussion and harmonies. Kaneka often has <br />political lyrics and is sung in Drehu, Paici or <br />other Melanesian languages, or in French. Kanakas <br />were Pacific islanders (not just Melanesians) who <br />were abducted to Australia, Chile or Canada to <br />perform forced labour during the 19th century. <br /><br />The German racial epithet Kanake (now applied <br />to all non-whites, or even southern Europeans, <br />but originally to Oceanians) also derives from <br />the name.<br /><br />For the Melanesian people of New Caledonia, <br />music-making was an important element of <br />traditional ceremonies such as initiation, <br />courting or the end of mourning, and always <br />accompanied dance and song. Sometimes instruments <br />were played simply for the clan's entertainment. <br /><br />Above all, however, Kanak music is vocal. There <br />are no Kanak words for music or musical instrument. <br />Rather their terminology is more appropriately <br />translated as 'sound-producing' instruments, the <br />classing example being the conch shell, which, <br />when blown, represents the call of the chief or <br />the voice of an ancestor. Many instruments were <br />made for a specific occasion, and include rhythm <br />instruments and bamboo flutes.<br /><br />Other traditional instruments used in ancient <br />Kanak culture were:<br /><br />Jews-harp (wadohnu in the Nengone language <br />where it originated) made from a dried piece of <br />coconut palm leaf held between the teeth and an <br />attached segment of soft nerve leaf. When the <br />harp is struck, the musician's mouth acts as an <br />amplifying chamber, producing a soft, low sound. <br /><br />Coconut-leaf whizzer (maguk-in Pije): a piece <br />of coconut leaf attached to a string and twirled, <br />producing a noise like a humming bee.<br /><br />Oboe: made from hollow grass stems or bamboo.<br />End-blown flute: made from a 50cm-long hollowed <br />pawpaw leaf stem. The pitch varies depending on <br />the position of the lips and how forcefully the <br />air is blown through the flute. <br /><br />Bamboo stamping tubes: struck vertically against <br />the ground and played at main events. <br /><br />Percussion instruments: These included hitting <br />sticks, palm sheaths that were strummed to hit, <br />and clappers made from a hard bark filled with <br />dried grass and soft niaouli bark, tied together <br />and hit against each other.<br /><br />Rattles: worn around the legs and made from <br />coconut leaves, shells and certain fruits. Conch <br />or Triton's shell: used like a trumpet on special <br />occasions and played by a special appointee. <br /><br />The Kanaks have developed dance into a high art <br />form. The traditional pilou dance tells the stories of <br />births, marriages, cyclones or preparations for battle, <br />although colonial authorities banned pilous in 1951 <br />for the high-energy and trance-like state they induced <br />in the dancers. <br /><br />Most contemporary Kanak music is labelled 'Kaneka', <br />a musical concept that incorporated both current <br />techniques and Kanak heritage that blended modern <br />instruments with ancestral harmonies and rhythms, and <br />married traditional stories and legends with lyrics that <br />call for an end to repression. Most songs are sung in <br />Kanak languages. Sadly, much of the traditional music <br />of New Caledonia has been forgotten, and there is only <br />a limited number of musical expressions from which the <br />young musicians can take their ideas. The most evident <br />link between kaneka and their grandfathers' music is <br />the use of traditional percussion instruments. <br /><br />However, how percussion instruments accompany <br />traditional singing and how they accompany kaneka <br />music can show important differences. Perhaps the <br />typical Melanesian element in kaneka lies not in <br />the music itself but in the way the musicians treat <br />kaneka as a cultural and political movement.<br /><br />Immensely popular with young people throughout <br />the country, Kaneka's chief exponents are bands <br />such as Mexem (from Lifou), Gurejele (Mare) and <br />Vamaley (Voh). A contemporary Kanak group that's <br />big with teenagers is OK! Ryos, a young trio from <br />Mare headed by Edouard Wamejo.The most well-<br />known modern record label on New Caledonia is <br />Alain Lecante's Mangrove Studios, which distributes <br />much of the Kaneka music. <br /><br />In order to listen to some of the above contemporary <br />music, you are invited to Jane Resture's Pacific <br />Islands Radio at: Pacific Islands Radio -<br />www.pacificislandsradio.com and click on <br />Jane Resture's flagship station at the following URL: <br />Pacific Islands Radio<br />http://www.live365.com/stations/janeresture<br /><br />On a final note, I would like to mention that Pacific <br />Islands Radio has always been very proud to feature <br />the music of Australian Aboriginal group Yothu Yindi, <br />whose song 'Treaty', a plea for understanding between <br />black and white Australia, became an International <br />hit. <br /><br />Indeed, it was sixteen years ago that lead singer, <br />Mandawuy Yunupingu, sang his way into the heart of <br />the nation with this Anthem of his people and, in <br />1993, he was named Australian of the Year.<br /><br />Sadly, last January 2007, a now very frail Yunupingu <br />entered a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre. The <br />man, so many thought of as an inspiration to us all, is <br />now fighting for his life. Winning the battle for sobriety <br />is just one of Yunupingu's health challenges. He is also <br />diabetic and will soon have dialysis treatment for renal <br />failure. He is a long way from the optimistic voice that <br />spoke from his warrior's heart, a heart that carried the <br />hopes of so many Australians, black and white.<br /><br />The story of Yunupingu is intrinsically tied to the <br />struggle of his people and his family name is synonymous <br />with the struggle for Aboriginal land rights. <br /><br />Yunupingu is well aware that, with substance abuse and <br />diabetes-related illness killing so many of his people, <br />this is one battle that he cannot afford to lose - not <br />only for himself and his family, but also for those who <br />have been inspired by him and, in particular, through <br />his music. <br /><br />If I may, I would like to humbly ask you all to join with <br />me in extending to this most remarkable man, Mandawuy <br />Yunupingu, our warmest wishes, along with our loving <br />thoughts and prayers. <br /><br />Mandawuy, along with his artistic and talented band, <br />Yothu Yindi, have certainly provided the inspiration <br />for a splendid-shared understanding and vision between <br />indigenous and non-indigenous people, both in Australia <br />and worldwide. <br /><br />For a little more information on Australian Aboriginal <br />music and Mandawuy Yunupingu, you are invited to visit: <br />http://www.janesoceania.com/australian_aboriginal_music/index1.htm<br /><br />FEATURE ARTIST<br /><br />PAUL TAYLOR<br /><br />Paul Taylor is an acclaimed storyteller and didgeridoo <br />player who has collaborated with Don Spencer, one <br />of Australia's most recognized children's performers, <br />to produce a most interesting album entitled 'Cooee'.<br /><br />The word 'Cooee' describes a shout used in the Australian <br />outback mainly to attract attention, find missing people, or<br />indicate one's own location. When done correctly - loudly <br />and shrilly - a call of "cooee" can carry over a considerable <br />distance. Historically, the call began as an Indigenous <br />Australian custom borrowed from the Aboriginal Dharuk <br />people, the original inhabitants of the Sydney area, and has <br />now become widely used in Australia. From the word 'cooee' <br />an expression "within a cooee of" has developed. It means <br />"not far from", and its use seems to be mainly confined to <br />Australia and New Zealand.<br /><br />As the title of the album suggests, Cooee, Taylor's fourth <br />album, has a rich and diverse Australian content and <br />includes songs from the indigenous Australian people <br />featuring traditional instruments such as the didgeridoo or <br />yidaki, an ancient Aboriginal musical instrument from the <br />tropical north of Australia. It is generally a branch of a <br />tree eaten out by termites. <br /><br />The album also features the sounds of the Australian bush <br />along with colonial songs such as Botany Bay and The <br />Dying Stockman. This album is recommended for those <br />people who would like a greater understanding of <br />Australia's musical heritage.<br /><br />For those people who are interested in traditional Australian <br />Aboriginal music, it is perhaps worth looking out for an album <br />entitled 'Bushfire: Traditional Aboriginal Music'.'Bushfire' was <br />recorded in the Kimberley's in Australia and features some of <br />the finest musicians of the region. There are two styles of <br />songs on the album, 'Wongga' and 'Djunba', which are traditional <br />styles that have been in existence for thousands of years. Each<br />of the songs have their own stories to tell, from daily happenings <br />to legends that have been passed down through many generations. <br />This album is highly recommended for lovers of traditional music.<br /><br />That's all for now my friends. Today is the end of another busy <br />week being Friday, may I wish you all a blessed and wonderful<br />weekend. See you all later.<br /><br />For further information, please check out my four Domains and associated pages:<br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com<br />www.pacificislandsradio.comJane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3067424721569551583.post-242308372383460862010-08-17T15:01:00.000-07:002010-09-10T00:25:02.023-07:00Indigenous Music Of Irian Jaya (West Papua) And BiakWelcome Everybody! <br /><br />You are all cordially invited to visit and comment, should you wish, on the content of my new Jane Resture's Blog. In this Blog, the very first of many, I would like to discuss and share with you some of the relevant, contemporary and, what I humbly consider, to be important issues regarding our beloved Oceania/Pacific Islands. <br /><br />In this post, I would like, to once again, mention the incredible music of Irian Jaya (West Papua) in the context of the social environment in which the people of Irian Jaya now find themselves. The music most certainly encapsulates and preserves the cultural heritage of many of the facets of the lives of the indigenous Melanesian people of Irian Jaya and Biak. <br /><br />NEWS AND VIEWS<br />(Extracted from Jane's Pacific Islands Radio <br />Newsletter (Island Music) of September/October 2007:<br /><br />It is my great pleasure to able to <br />talk a little further about the incredible music <br />of West Papua (formally Irian Jaya) and, in <br />particular the music of Black Paradise, as <br />well as the music from Biak, one quite small <br />yet very beautiful island off the coast of West<br />Papua. <br /><br />Ignored for centuries, the Melanesian island <br />of New Guinea (now West Papua - formerly <br />Irian Jaya - and Papua New Guinea) was like <br />a lost world, where stone age tribes once<br />practised cannibalism and where plant life is <br />found like nothing else on earth. It is a very <br />old civilisation with carbon dating of remnants <br />found on camp sites suggesting human <br />habitation for at least the last 40,000 years. <br /><br />Indeed, West Papua is a land like no other. <br />Located on the western rim of the Pacific, <br />bordering independent Papua New Guinea, <br />West Papua is merely swimming and walking <br />distance from Boigu and Saibai islands, the <br />northern extent of Australia's boundary. It is <br />a wild and rugged country. It is also a place <br />where it is possible to stand on the summit of <br />a 5000m peak, surrounded by ice and snow <br />and look down on alpine valleys across to an <br />endless expanse of tropical rainforests and <br />island studded equatorial waters glistening <br />in the sun far below. A land that is home to <br />ancient cultures, including the oldest, <br />continually cultivating society in existence <br />and around 300 distinct indigenous groups, <br />each with their own language.<br /><br />The traditional music of West Papua has its <br />origins in the complex and beautiful culture of <br />the Melanesian people of West Papua. Indeed,<br />culture is the glue that binds together the local <br />spirit and identity of each and every indigenous <br />group in West Papua. However, the oral traditions <br />of West Papuans have come under considerable <br />pressure and changed form as a result of the <br />growing influence of Christianity, the encroachment <br />of global culture, as well as Indonesian military <br />repression. <br /><br />Music driven by global influences and the growing <br />commercialisation of indigenous music has severed <br />West Papuans' connections with their traditions and <br />roots. This resulted in an urgent need for organised <br />efforts to find forms of traditional Papuan music <br />which can retain the values, colour and identity of <br />each of the different indigenous groups from which <br />the music is derived. In this way, music and songs <br />will continue to be the substance that binds <br />indigenous groups together, as well as enabling <br />freedom of expression.<br /><br />BLACK PARADISE<br /><br />My humble comments on the above News and <br />Views were recognised by West Papuan artists <br />such as Arnold Ap and Eddie Mofu who formed <br />the cultural music group, Mambesak, to revitalise <br />traditional West Papuan dance, music and song. <br />Mambesak provided a certain colour, form and <br />inspiration for the birth of music and dance <br />groups throughout Papua, actively promoting <br />and strengthening West Papuan identity. <br /><br />However, Arnold Ap and Eddie Mofu's popularity <br />and the conscious pride in being Papuan, Mambesak's <br />music engendered, brought them to the attention of <br />the Indonesian military who accused them of being <br />separatists - consequently, sadly and finally they <br />were murdered.<br /><br />Twenty years after the killing of Arnold Ap, music <br />is still a potent source of cultural resistance in <br />West Papua. Just before he was murdered by Kopassus, <br />Indonesia's notorious special forces, renowned <br />West Papuan musician and anthropologist, as well <br />as the leader of the cultural music group, Mambesak,<br />wrote his last song: 'The Mystery of Life'. <br /><br />Sitting beside an old portable tape recorder <br />in his prison cell, guitar in hand, Ap lovingly <br />recorded: 'The Mystery of Life'. In the closing words <br />of the song, Ap sang: "The only thing I desire and am <br />waiting for, is nothing else but freedom". Like his <br />music and life, the moving words came from the heart, <br />and gave voice to a desire that was at once personal <br />and political and, in particular, to his situation, <br />but something shared by all his fellow West Papuans. <br /><br />Then Ap wrapped the cassette up, stuffed it into an <br />envelope, with words of consolation, and sent it to <br />his wife who had fled to a refugee camp in Papua <br />New Guinea. Together, with fellow musician Eddie <br />Mofu, Arnold Ap was languishing in jail, suspected <br />by the Indonesian military of having sympathy with <br />the West Papuan resistance movement, the OPM. <br />West Papua had been occupied by the Indonesian <br />military since the early 1960s, and the movement <br />for self-determination had taken root deep in the <br />hearts of West Papuans. In a place where contested <br />identities have become a site of struggle; music, <br />song and dance became weapons. The real crime of Mofu <br />and Ap was singing and dancing the traditional songs <br />of their people, thus promoting pride in Papuan <br />culture. <br /><br />Each song is infused with this pride in being West <br />Papuan. To see it, you almost need to get inside the <br />song itself. And to do that is to begin to understand <br />something of West Papua. Through song, culture was <br />uplifted, and people's lives dignified. Lyrics and <br />tunes celebrate the mystery and natural beauty of <br />West Papua, retell traditional legends, impart <br />knowledge and wisdom, lament, laugh, rage, speak about <br />the ordinariness of daily life, and the struggles and <br />joys of relationships. They function as the glue that <br />invokes soul, animates spirit, and reinforces identity <br />through the medium of oral traditions. <br /><br />In West Papua, music is everywhere. In so many <br />ways, it represents the irrepressible desire for life. <br />Every evening, as the sun goes down and the jungle <br />erupts in a cacophony of insects backed up by a <br />syncopating base line of frogs; and every morning, <br />when the air is still, one can hear the sound of music. <br />Songs of struggle, haunting laments, musical delights <br />in the natural beauty of the land of their ancestors, <br />and sultry love songs puncture the tropical heat. <br />Ukulele, guitar, snakeskin drums, and the distinct <br />four-part soaring harmonies of the Melanesian <br />Pacific work their way inwards, shaping identity, <br />weaving stories, and strengthening the courage of <br />a people determined to be free. <br /><br />One Mambesak song: "Awin Sup Ine", proudly <br />featured on our flagship station, Pacific Islands <br />Radio, and beautifully sung in the enchanting Biak <br />language, is translated as follows: "At twilight, <br />the rays of the sun paint beautiful skyscapes, <br />stirring the eye and heart...". At these times, <br />the lyrics continue: "... one cannot help but recall <br />sweet moments from the past and feel again the bonds <br />of love that bind one to the land". <br /><br />Other songs sound clear warning bells, and <br />evoke strong emotions. Many songs also have <br />sophisticated double meanings. One such <br />featured song, "Nit Pughuluok En", crafted by <br />Dani songman and widely respected elder, Chief <br />Yafet Yelamaken, tells of the departure of a <br />friend: "Who knows when you will be coming back", <br />the song goes: "My only hope is to pray that we <br />shall meet again. Travel safely". However, the <br />friend, as Chief Yelamaken's daughter explains, <br />can also be read as the Indonesian Government, <br />who, it is hoped, will ultimately will leave West <br />Papua. Tragically, Chief Yelamaken died in a spate <br />of fatal poisonings that felled many West Papuan <br />cultural and civil society leaders. Although it <br />has never been proven, many West Papuans feel <br />certain it was a political assassination organised <br />by the Indonesian military. <br /><br />MUSIC OF BIAK <br /><br />This most interesting album features the music of <br />one small island, Biak, that lies just off the <br />northern coast of West Papua, Indonesia's easternmost <br />province. Biak has a long history of encounters with <br />outsiders from Europe and other parts of Indonesia -<br />a history that continues to unfold as Biak has become <br />one of the main ports of entry by air to Indonesia for <br />travelers from North America.<br /><br />The album focuses on three genres: two contemporary <br />types of song are contrasted with the older wor, a genre <br />that is "in decline" but is still remembered by many. The <br />two newer genres, yospan and church songs, which have <br />largely replaced wor at celebrations, display considerable <br />foreign influence. <br /><br />Certainly, the three genres have contrasting sounds. Most <br />of the album is devoted to wor. Seventeen of the 72 tracks<br />exemplify this genre. Divided into dance, non-dance, and <br />narrative categories, they supply a richer representation <br />of this genre than most listeners will probably want or need. <br />Characterized by choral singing (almost exclusively male <br />on these tracks) and drumming, the differences between <br />one track and the next are not consequential for the <br />uninitiated ear. But the wealth of contextual information, <br />provided for these songs, enables one to appreciate <br />some of their significance. <br /><br />The men form into two opposing choruses that compete<br />for attention - one group "beginning their verse before <br />the [other] singers are finished, and the [other] singers <br />retaliating to 'steal back' the song". Within each group, <br />singers also strive to stand out. <br /><br />The four examples of church songs offer a stunning <br />contrast to the wor: sung in five part harmony by female <br />choirs, these performances are evidence of the deep <br />influence of Christianity and the long reach of European <br />missionary and colonial power. Sonically beautiful, these <br />tracks closely resemble Christian choral singing from <br />various areas of Africa and other parts of the world. <br /><br />Yospan, represented by a medley of four songs in the<br />final track on this album, is a recent dance genre, <br />created from two other types of dance, one fast and <br />one slow. The fascinating history of this hybrid <br />involves government policy, imitations of Dutch <br />warplanes, and various other seemingly incongruent <br />elements. <br /><br />On Biak, dance remains the centrepiece of celebrations. <br />It is accompanied by an ensemble of guitars, homemade <br />ukuleles and drums, and a giant bass guitar, the strings <br />of which are beaten with a stick. This is an amateur form <br />of expression that is open to all members of Biak society. <br />Indeed, wor and yospan are based on the same resilient <br />principles. In a conventional framework of words (wor) <br />or motions (yospan) both present the foreign as a startling <br />source of inspiration to be mobilized and circulated locally. <br />In addition, both genres embody the aesthetic of surprise.<br /><br />Pacific Islands Radio is very pleased to be able to feature <br />on the playlist on our Flagship station, the incredible music <br />of Black Paradise, along with a selection of Music of Biak. <br />This latter selection (Music of Biak) includes two church <br />songs and two party hymns. The church songs and party <br />hymns represent the range of Christian themes addressed <br />in Biak hymns.<br /><br />That's all for now with best wishes to all. Have a great<br />and blessed day!<br /><br />For further information, please check out my four Domains and associated Web pages:<br />www.janeresture.com<br />www.janesoceania.com<br />www.ourpacificocean.com<br />www.pacificislandsradio.comJane Resturehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04696197190710113702noreply@blogger.com0