Pacific Songs

Sydney Hears Unusual Central Pacific Songs

IN October, the Polynesian Club of Sydney were hosts to a party of young men, residents of the Gilbert and Ellice Groups, who came to Sydney as crew of a small Islands steamer. They were introduced to the Club by Mrs.

Keith Strachan, formerly of Butaritari, whose nephew, Carl Reiher, of Abemama, was one of the party.

Resident members were delighted with the fine part-singing of Samoan ana Gilbert songs, as well as the excellent “Faa Samoa ’ dances, one highlight being a “tauoluga” by Tom Peters, of Tarawa, who was partnered by the graceful Miss Ana Laurenson, of Samoa. The boys were entertained at members’ homes, and a final visit was made to the Club room on the night before their departure. At this last gathering, the Gilberts men showed their “ruoia” dance, while the Ellice Is landers gave a spirited representation of a war-like “faatele” of their own locality.

The Gilbert dance was done to songs resembling somewhat the style of modern Japanese “Western” music; the Ellice men did their act to a complicated chant, in limited scale—almost a Gregorian mode in rhythm!

Musical members were greatly interested in these most unusual forms of Poly nesian and Micronesian songs, different in every way from the familiar songs of the Hawaiians and N.Z. Maori.

In their turn, Club members put their best feet forward ana snowed several forms of Maori poi and “haka taparahi”.

Before leaving the club room, on the final evening, the leader of the boys, Mr.

Joe Florance, of Suva, presented the president, Mr. Leonard Moran, with two pictureque Ellice Islands dancing cos tumes.