Music of Tokelau
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Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand located in the Pacific Ocean whose people are of Polynesian descent. Their music is dominated by communal choral activity in harmony, with percussive accompaniment including log drums (pate), pokihi (wooden box) and apa (biscuit tin), used as percussion.
Their best-known form of traditional traditional music is fatele, a dance performed at many community gatherings and events. Each song begins with a stanza that is repeated up to a half-dozen times, followed by increased pitch and tempo near the end of the piece. This tradition is shared with the music of Tuvalu .
New Zealand-based band Te Vaka is composed of Tokelauans living in New Zealand, and also has members from Tuvalu and Samoa. They have achieved international commercial success. Many of their songs incoporate elements of Tokelauan music.
[edit] References
- Linkels, Ad. "The Real Music of Paradise". 2000. In Broughton, Simon and Ellingham, Mark with McConnachie, James and Duane, Orla (Ed.), World Music, Vol. 2: Latin & North America, Caribbean, India, Asia and Pacific, pp 218-229. Rough Guides Ltd, Penguin Books. ISBN 1-85828-636-0
[edit] Notes
- ^ Linkels, pg. 221
| Polynesian music |
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| Easter Island - Fiji - Hawaii - Samoa - Tonga - Tuvalu - Wallis and Futuna French Polynesia: Austral - Marquesas and Tahiti - Tuamotus |
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