Traditional music between songs and instruments
If the image of Polynesian dances, sweet and enchanting, has traveled a lot, the traditional music, less known, is a show of a similar enchantment. Essentially vocal, this music and these songs have been a privileged vehicle to perpetuate Polynesian culture through the ages. The most common songs are undoubtedly the himene. Dating from the early 19th century, they are the result of the marriage between traditional Polynesian polyphony and the religious hymns of the first Protestant missionaries. The main types are the himene tarava (a complex polyphonic choir of male and female songs), the himene ru'au (a capella) and the ute paripari (lively rhythm, traditional and more modern instruments). Not necessarily religious, these songs also perpetuate Mao'hi legends, gods and heroes. The ensembles, called pupu himene, gather up to 80 singers whose polyphonies superimpose from six to ten voices. Slow and harmonious melodies, the himene are perfect for long evenings under the starry sky of the Tuamotus, Bora Bora or Tahiti. Variations can be found throughout the archipelago, such as the fakanau and fatele dances and songs of Tuvalu
During two weeks in all Polynesia, the Heiva is not only the occasion to hear himene from all the archipelago, but also a real competition where you can discover the main local instruments: the to'ere, an essential percussion instrument in Polynesian music (an oblong drum with a longitudinal slit), made of rosewood or tamanu; the tari parau, a kind of bass drum with a low, muffled sound; the ihara, a bamboo split into thin strips; the pahu, a drum that resembles the African djembe; the vivo (or pu ihu in the Marquesas), a surprising bamboo flute with three holes into which one blows with the nose; and of course the ukulele, a symbolic plucked string instrument from Hawaii, adapted from the Madeira braguinha and the Portuguese caraquinho. All of them can be heard in the compositions of the most popular Polynesian artists such as Barthélemy Arakino, Angelo Neuffer, the Laughlin family or Bobby Holcomb. The latter clearly stands out from the crowd and still represents a myth for many Polynesians. Musician and painter, he has contributed to the cultural renewal of French Polynesia, especially by marrying Tahitian melodies to various genres such as reggae.
A sporty dance
Dance is one of the most shared and widespread cultural practices in Polynesia. Far from being confined to ancestral movements, it is constantly evolving and modernising every year - so much so that it is impossible to say whether a particular performance is authentic or not. In Polynesian dances, all the figures (love, beauty, flower...) have a meaning. Executed to perfection, the gestures of the vahinés are lascivious and sensual, the most inconceivable being the speed at which the hips move. This is impressive, especially since the movement is infinitely more difficult to achieve than it seems. The tanes are not to be outdone and perform other figures no less quickly, sometimes juggling fire. Their footwork is exhausting... The difficulty, in both cases, is to keep the shoulders straight. Inseparable from the dance, the music is provided by an orchestra with ukuleles, drums and toere, or even a bass made with a stretched string and a garbage can.
Ori Tahiti and her descendants
The most famous Tahitian dance practiced in French Polynesia is the "Ori Tahiti". As its name suggests, it is unique to Tahiti, and was included in the inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2017. When we speak of tamure (often pronounced " tamouré " in French and spelled " Tāmūrē " in Tahitian), we refer to the modern declination of Ori Tahiti. This sensual - sometimes very explicit - dance of the naked Tahitian women impressed many an explorer, even if the "shameless" passages are rare in the accounts of the period. Indeed, as Captain Cook recounted, these dances with their clearly sexual character were performed with great perfection and still are. Banned by missionaries, they remained in the shadows until the early 20th century and began to revive at the end of the Second World War. Today, four major types of dances - all descended from the Ori Tahiti - are performed in the Territory (especially during the Heiva): theote'a, theaparima, thehivinau and the pa'o'a. The ote'a, once reserved for men only (today, it is practiced between men " ote'a tane ", between women "ote'a vahine " or in a mixed way "ote' a amui ") is a violent and jerky traditional dance (with probably warlike origins) and with rather abstract gestures taking up the steps of the tamure (hip swaying for women, scissors with thighs or pao ́ti and foot throwing or tu'e for men). It is the most famous dance with its lively and festive atmosphere. One of the cultural symbols of Tahiti. Theaparima focuses on a more symbolic gesture: a story is told, linked to the daily life of the inhabitants, feelings or expressions. The etymology of the word would be "the kiss that comes from the hands"(apa/rima). If the dance is accompanied only by the drum, it is calledaparima vava. If it is sung and accompanied by string instruments and drums, it is aparimahimene. Thehivinau, performed by the dancers in two intersecting concentric circles, is less demanding. It resembles theote'a, only simpler. Finally, the pa'o'a is a dance linked to the making of tapa. The choristers beat their thighs in unison, reproducing the beating of the bark in cadence, while the singers send "Hi" and "Ha" to give themselves courage.
The festivities
All the dances are performed during the Heiva. This great Tahitian popular and cultural event is an unstoppable event that is sure to enthuse the curious. Established as a celebration of the National Day by France in 1842, all of Polynesia celebrates the whole month of July... and has done so since 1881 (the show was then called Tiurai). On June 29th, the Hiva Vae Vae launches the festivities. Dance shows and song contests are then organized on all the islands, from Tahiti to the Austral Islands and from the Marquesas Islands to Bora Bora, in every village. Tamure, opaopa, aparima, all styles of dance are performed on a large scale in To'ata Square in Papeete, with hundreds of dancers and dozens of choreographies for endless competitions. Magnificent showcase of Polynesian culture, there are also concerts, himene songs, canoe races, Tahiti Nui games (a kind of local Olympic games... including the fruit carrier race!) and other agricultural fairs. Other festivities much less known, but just as inratable: Hura Tapairu. Every year, at the end of November/early December, the most famous dance groups as well as the formations created for the occasion compete in front of packed houses, highlighting their creativity, their grace and the strength of this lively dance in constant evolution.Where to live this experience?
Of course, one can also attend Polynesian dance performances throughout the year. One of the best addresses is the famous Tiki Village. This Polynesian cultural center welcomes visitors in traditional fare and offers two to three times a week a stunning dance performance consisting of tamure as well as the exceptional fire dance. Alternatively, many of the larger hotels in Polynesia organize performances for their guests (open to the public). The most spectacular ones are undoubtedly those of the Intercontinental and the Meridien Tahiti. Let's not forget the Tahiti Pearl Beach Resort where regular Marquisian and Tahitian evenings are held with very famous dance shows. If the great ballets of Tahiti have made Polynesian dance travel around the world, the professionalization of the genre goes back to 1956, when Madeleine Moua founded the Heiva group. Today, Coco Hotahota is undoubtedly the best known choreographer and one of the masters of this art form, which he has revived with new compositions for his group Te Maeva. He and his troupe were also featured in a brief sequence in Luc Besson's film The Fifth Element.
The haka
Ritual sung dance, practised by the Maori and made world famous by the All Blacks, New Zealand's rugby team, the haka is not exclusive to the latter. In fact, there is not a haka, but haka. Practised throughout Oceania, there are no less than seven different styles in Polynesia alone. It is in the Marquesas Islands that we find one of the most singular versions, recognizable in particular by its rhythms made with drums, the "pahu" and its more linear rhythm.
