Saturday, August 16, 2008

Gospel Singing, Tahitian Style

Video Find of the Day

Polyphonic song in the service of the Lord, in the Tahitian language. Throughout Polynesia Himene means Christian hymns in the native language. The word is borrowed from the word "hymn", but the music is always only half European. In this case, as these are Tahitians, the European half is mainly French. I believe I can hear the French influence in Tahitian Himene as well as in most other Tahitian music. (Note that in the first and last video, all the singers are dressed just like French peasants from the period of Gauguin & Van Gogh.) I can also hear the ocean, which is never far away.

Tamarii Papara for Himene Tarava Tahiti at Heiva 1989



A humorous song, the description says, but I don't know what it's about yet:

Ute Arearea by Tamarii Rautea Heiva 1994



Tahaa I Te Pia Tarea for Himene Tarava Raromatai in 1989

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