AN EVENING IN THE ELLICE ISLANDS

Te Ao Hou, March 1968, Page 62

AN EVENING IN THE ELLICE ISLANDS Salem XP 5033 33 ½ 12in L.P. This is an example of Salem enterprise in bringing to us the sounds of Polynesia. It comes from tiny Funafuti, a small coral atoll which is the chief island of the Ellice group and its centre of administration. The disc was recorded out of doors during a festival evening. The music is fresh, unsophisticated and perhaps a little difficult in its entirety for the average European to appreciate and enjoy. As the first commercial recording of Ellice Island music of the traditional variety and largely untainted by outside influence it has, however, a definite place in the library of all who collect and take an interest in Polynesian music. Traditional Ellice music as heard on this record is accompanied only by the percussion of log drums, clapping, floor thumping and the like. As in most of the islands the four gallon kerosene can is a popular secondary accompaniment. There are also several tracks by a small group who are accompanied by guitar and ukalele. They represent the move by the younger people towards the European pop world. The record cover gives a thumbnail sketch of the locale of the recording and talks engagingly of the ‘creeping tide of civilisation’ and ‘western culture with all its evil by products’. Unfortunately the actual items are only named Their significance and content is not discussed and this robs the record of a certain amount of its undoubted value.