Introduction

Cloth Panel design by Rosaiviti Solomona

Talofa / Welcome

O le toe fafagu mo musika Samoa, e fa’aaoga ai mea fai  fa’aili fa’aleaganu’u, e fa’aolaola ai ana fatuga.

Recovering Samoan Instrumental Music to Promote Cultural Heritage and Enterprise 

Aofiaga o le Poloketi:

O lenei galuega faifaatasi a le Iunivesite Aoao o Samoa (N.U.S.) ma le University of Saint Andrews, Scotland, na faavae I le 2018 I le ta’ita’iga a tamalii oloo nafa ma vaega uma tau musika I le Iunivesite Aoao o Samoa. Ua avea lenei poloketi e tuufaatasia ai sao o tamalii o le  musika, faiaoga ma alii ma tamaitai aoga ina ia una’ia le taua o le afuaga o musika faaleaganuu a Samoa. E mafuli le galuega I le taua o mea faifaaili I le aganuu a Samoa. O le faamoemoe ia faatupulaia le malamalama I nei mea fai faaili e le gata I tagata i Samoa nei ae faapea foi i atunuu uma o le lalolagi.

O galuega faatino o le poloketi ma tulaga olea atagia mai ai e aofia ai: faamaumauga ma atapue o tagata oloo faia faatinoga, o tufuga e lava le silafia I le faiva alofilima o mea faifaaili faaleganuu; o alaga’oa oloo faaaoga I le aoaoga o le musika mai aoga tulagalua e oo I iunivesite I Samoa; o alaga’oa ma upegatafailagi Faasamoa ma le Faaperetania; faatonu ma totogi le faiga o se logo lapoa ma isi mea fai faaili mo le faaaogaga I le Iunivesite Aoao o Samoa ma faatonu ma totogi ni galuega faafaatufugaga fou e faia e ni tamalii Samoa ua iloga ona lauiloa I ia ituaiga faatufugaga eseese – o le ata tifaga na pueina ma tuufaatasia e Galumalemana Steven Percival, o le ata tifaga e faaata e pese na tuufaatasia e Tuilagi Igelese Ete ma fatuga tusitusia a Sia Figiel.

O lenei poloketi e lagolagoina e le Scottish Funding Council.

Project Outline:

This collaboration between the National University of Samoa and the University of St Andrews, Scotland, was established in 2018, led by musicians at NUS. The project brings together musicians, teachers and scholars to promote customary Samoan musical heritage. It focuses especially on musical instruments and their cultural significance. It hopes to raise awareness of these instruments within Samoa and internationally. 

Project activities and outputs include: recordings of performers, instrument makers and cultural experts on customary instruments; teaching materials in Samoan from primary school to University level; online Samoan-English website and resources; commission of new large logo (log drum) and other instruments for use at NUS; and commissions of new art works by distinguished Samoan artists – a film by Galumalemana Steven Percival, a musical composition by composer Tuilagi Igelese Ete and creative writing by Sia Figiel. 

The project is supported by the Scottish Funding Council. 

Siutu

‘We acknowledge with gratitude and respect the generosity of community members who have shared their customary knowledge and told their stories; fuller details are provided below. We also warmly thank our funders for their support.’  

‘E momoli atu le fa’afetai tele i le lagolago ma le fesoasoani mai a alalafaga o le atunuu i Samoa, fa’atasi ma pa’aga sa faatupeina lenei fa’amoemoe e pei o le Scottish Funding Council ma University of St Andrews.’

Emblem design by Rosaiviti Solomona

Project emblem and website artwork, Rosaiviti Solomona’  

O le pine fa’ailo o lenei poloketi ma mamanu oi lenei so’oatulau – Rosaiviti Solomona 

In the emblem, the ‘LOGO’ is believed to be the largest slit drum of Polynesia but unfortunately is being replaced by empty oxygen tanks to sound the starting of church worship. Thus representing all that is on the verge of permanent loss; the context of our customary instruments, their ceremonial and social importance, the original wood and bamboo (resources) they are made of, the traditional tools used, traditional roles pertaining to hierarchical instruments… basically “identity” in a world where we celebrate Pasifika interconnectedness at the risk of losing whats uniquely us, Samoa.

Emblem design

To find you Again After finally succumbing To the ancestral cries That at first whispered In our childhood dreams
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