Music of the Solomon Islands

The music of the Solomon Islands has become known around the world, even before the country gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1978. The islands have a rich musical tradition that includes many different styles and instruments.

People in the Solomon Islands create music for many reasons, such as celebrations, storytelling, and bringing the community together. This music often uses unique instruments and rhythms that make it special and exciting to listen to.

Because of its beauty and diversity, the music from the Solomon Islands has attracted attention from music lovers everywhere, showing the world the wonderful sounds made by the people of these islands.

Traditional music

Traditional Melanesian music in Solomon Islands features both group and solo singing, along with instruments like the slit-drum and panpipe. These musical traditions have been studied and recorded by ethnomusicologist Hugo Zemp.

Panpipe orchestras are popular on Malaita and Guadalcanal, with up to ten musicians each playing a different instrument tuned in unique ways. During special events, as many as forty people might play pan flutes while dancing. Early European visitors, like the German explorer Carl Ribbe in 1903, found the traditional flute music pleasant to listen to.

Popular music

In the 1920s, a style of music called bamboo music became popular in several countries. This music was made by hitting open-ended bamboo tubes of different sizes, originally using coconut husks. Later, after American soldiers brought sandals to the Solomon Islands, these sandals replaced the coconut husks by the early 1960s. Around the same time, this music began to spread to Papua New Guinea.

In the 1950s, Edwin Nanau Sitori wrote a song called "Walkabout long Chinatown", which became popular across the Pacific. The government even called it the unofficial "national song" of Solomon Islands.

Today, popular music from Solomon Islands includes many kinds of rock and reggae, as well as a special style called island music. This style uses guitars and ukuleles and is influenced by Polynesian and Christian music.

Traditional singing by Melanesian choirs can be heard in the movie The Thin Red Line, which is set during the Battle for Guadalcanal.

Rorogwela

In 1969 and 1970, a person who studies music from different cultures named Hugo Zemp recorded some local songs. One of these songs was a lullaby called "Rorogwela", sung by a woman from Northern Malaita. This melody was later used in a 1992 song called "Sweet Lullaby" by a French music group called Deep Forest. The song became very popular around the world, but there was some disagreement because the woman who sang the original song was not credited at first. The lyrics of Rorogwela mean: Young sibling, young sibling, be quiet. You are crying, but our father has left us. He has gone to the place of the dead to protect the living and the orphan child.

Music institutions

The Solomon Islands has a special event called the Wantok Music Festival.

Solomon Islander musicians

Here are some musicians from the Solomon Islands: Sharzy, Dezine, Jahboy, 56 Hop Rod, Rosie Delmah, DMP, Onetox, Jah Roots, Native Stonage, T cage, Jambeat, Sisiva, Henzii, Islestone, Taine Gee, Vania, Saba, Kumara Vibes, Zabana Ambassadas, Sean Rii, Jaro Local, Young Davie, Joe Briz, Bibao, Reesa, Ramo, Tipa, Elexter, Young Davie.

Notes and references

This section contains only references and notes, which are not needed for younger readers. No summary is provided.