on records
p. 83 · Read in the full issue
Suva Arts Festival on records
One of the important documenta tions of the South Pacific Festival in Suva last year is the magnificent library of recordings of the music.
That two New Zealand commercial firms saw the value of such a heritage of ethnic song and rhythms being preserved is both exciting and valuable.
Kiwi/Hibiscus, an offshoot of A. H. and A. W. REED of Welling ton and the Viking Record Co also of Wellington, have issued some 22 titles on LP records. Some of these are also available as cassette tapes.
All the recordings preserve the best of the Pacific countries’ traditional music as specially prepared and performed in the festival. Among the countries represented are Tonga, British Solomons, Niue, Gilbert & Ellice, New Hebrides, Cook Islands, American Samoa, Fiji and Australian Aborigines.
Without any doubt those record ings made at live performances are the best. They are filled with the exuberance of the performers and that magic that communicates between those on stage and the audience. Some that fall in this category are Cook Islands, part 1 and part 2 (Kiwi/Hibiscus). and the Solomon Islands (Viking).
They can be procured through all record shops or by contacting the recording companies, Kiwi/Hibiscus and Viking Recording Co, Box 6002, Wellington, NZ. —Victor Carell