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Mark E
Lokahi
USA
186 Posts |
 Posted - 12/05/2004 : 6:50:10 PM
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"I'd love to really know why there are open-tuned (ie slack key) guitar traditions all over the Pacific, yet the paniolo only came to Hawaii. I have personal experience with Tongan and Rarotongan slack key, and I have heard recordings of Tahitian slack key. Are there others?"
(per Mark Nelson on another thread)
Whoa!!! There is such a thing as Rarotongan Slack Key??? What good news! That's where I'm going that I'm looking for a L'Arrivee parlor to take along with me.
So any and all info. anyone has about this will be eagerly consumed. ie., are there any performers/teachers I should look up? Recordings I should get? Places to hear it played?
I'm looking forward to anything anyone can tell me.
Mahalo,
Mark (E)
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Mark
Ha`aha`a
USA
1628 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2004 : 09:30:28 AM
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Hi Mark.
Boy, are you going to have a wonderful time! Annie and I went to Rarotonga and Aitutaki several years ago, and I've been trying to get back ever since. Please e-mail me directly and I'll pass on some people to look up... and maybe you can do me a favor and find a friend I've lost touch with. I have a gift for him.
As for slack key, sadly it seems to have completely died out. There is wonderful music, of all sorts (my favorite 45 minute medley included songs from the Cooks interspersed with "I Shot The Sheriff," "Honolulu City Lights," and "Staying Alive.") But the back country stuff has been passed by.
I heard rumors that there was a recording of one of the last players at the local radio station, but calls to the station proved fruitless. Ditto research at the local museum. I checked into a local recoding studio (Studio Teura, just past the airport ) and they said there may be one old guy who still played, but he was near death in the hospital.... However, they were very interested when I told them that there was a big international market for acoustic Hawaiian music.
Hours before I had to fly home, I met the owner of a local music store, who told me his grandfather played something he called "Patapata Maniata" -- which kind of translates as "The Morning Riff." Grandpa would play his guitar as he walked down to the fishing boat at dawn each day.
Upon further questioning, the store owner (a guy in his 30s) pulled down a guitar and tuned it to an open G (same as Taro Patch) and, over the course of maybe ten minutes, started to recreate the sound. It was quite similar to the old time Aunty Alice kind of thing: a sweet little repetitive riff that moved between the tonic and dominant chords. However, it sounded more South Pacific than Hawaiian -- almost like Malagasy guitar playing.
(Here's an interesting little note: music from the South Pacific -- Cooks, Fiji, Tahiti, etc -- all sounds similar, and it all sounds very different from Hawaiian music. Paul Hofsteder, who's very involved in Malagasy music, feels there is a direct connection. There is certainly a similarlity in music, and some migration patterns suggest a link...)
Anyway, before I could get the guy to teach me the riff, or play it into a recorder, he abruptly stopped playing and put the guitar away. I asked him why, and he pointed to a local guy and said, "That guy's been hanging araound trying to learn my grandfather's style. He's not from my family, so I won't show him." (!)
I protested that this was exactly why the style had died out, and that he may be the last one who remembers how to play... no dice. As this was our last day on the island, there was nothing I could do.
So, maybe the guy kept playing... maybe he'd remembered more of the style. Maybe the folks at Studio Teura did go out at try to find some old players. Maybe some of the slack key CDs from Dancing Cat found there way down and inspired some players to start playing again.
That's why I want to go back -- I want to see if there has been a re-discovery of traditional roots music like on Hawaii. Though, since the culture was never "lost" that may not be happening. It's been 4 years, though, and a lot can happen.
You will hear a lot of amazing music. The "Island Nights," sort of the local version of the luau show, are the best way to hear the music and see the dancing. The `ukuelele playing is amazing... very much like the Tahitian style, and you may get to hear some trad string bands with guitar, `ukulele and tea chest bass... particularly is you go to the other islands. The drumming is some of the finest in the Pacific.
And by all means go to church on Sunday , regardless of your religious affiliation -- the polyphonic singing is unbelievable. Annie and I went in Vaipae, Aitutaki. For the rest of our stay we had people come up and talk to us, simply because we'd taken the time to attend their church... and made the effort to show our respect by dressing appropriately.
Bringing a guitar is the way to go -- I met people and had extraordinary experiences because I took my guitar down to the beach and played with the locals -- "Mustang Sally" was the song that broke the ice. Hey, nice to know my garage band days finally paid off!
Have a wonderful trip.
cheers,
Mark
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chunky monkey
Ha`aha`a
USA
1022 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2004 : 1:23:03 PM
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To Mark,
There is one music store in Avarua; at least there was the last time I was on Raro. Try contacting Jake Numanga if you can find him. He's been playing local music at the airport for 30 years, welcoming incoming flights and entertaining outgoing passengers. The flights into Raro are usually at weird hours, so you may have to hang around. If he's still doing this gig, he'll be there when you arrive.
Re the island nights: the Raro productions are pretty "professional"; that is they are put on by touring companies and are very well done. However, for real Cook Island music, make the trip to Aitutaki and spend a couple of days. Aitutaki, or another outer island, is a must see in the Cook Islands. Aitutaki has the best air connection and the best accommodations in the outer islands. There are some good 3-day packages that include air, transfers and accommodations. It's still small enough that you can get a real feel for island life. Rent a bike or scooter to see the island and be sure to take a lagoon cruise - try to find a small locally run boat for the best experience. They have some monster tourist boats that can get obnoxious.
Aitutaki only has a couple of restaurants and they'll all have island nights. The "casts" are all local residents and are usually huge extended families. All ages perform, from toddlers to kupuna; everyone does something. This is real island music. The local communities "compete" to see who gets to perform for the tourists. It's very inexpensive and these groups are essentially working; unfortunately tipping is not the custom. They performances are wonderful and you will definitely be asked to participate. I saw three different groups perform on three different nights on Aitutaki. At Ralphies, my wife and I had a wonderful dinner, live music from a local combo and nearly two hours of music and dancing by the local group for $20. There were 12 people in the audience and nearly 40 entertainers. What an experience. |
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duke
Lokahi
USA
163 Posts |
Posted - 12/06/2004 : 8:06:51 PM
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Then there's Samoan slack key. My Samoan grandmother and her sister used to play when I was a kid. Very simple style. I think they used an F-tuning. The characteristic I remember most about their playing was the right hand action. Very reminiscent of a pattern I sometimes hear coming through on Ray Kane's playing. I couldn't tell you how come they knew how to play guitars, they both grew up outside of Pago Pago during the 1920s, 30s, 40s, and already knew how to play before they moved to Hawaii in the 50s. I'll have to ask some of my older cousins. I know there's not much work for paniolos in Samoa, so not sure how the guitars fit in.
Duke |
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