Melanesian Music

I have had this recording for 16 months now, and inspired by a discussion on the Masalai blog I decided to upload it to YouTube.

The recording was made December 13th 2008 at the Solomon Islands Prime Minister's compound in Vavaya Ridge in Honiara. It is of Edwin Sitori, the composer of Wakabaot Long Saenataon, playing his most famous composition with One Drop Band.
Sitori is one of the few remaining stringband performers from the 1950s.

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDHDNBqMDus

I'm currently working on a co-authored book due out in 2011 with Oxford University Press Global Music series (Jane Moulin on Polynesia, Brian Diettrich on Micronesia, Webb on Melanesia). It is titled Music of Pacific Island Cultures. It's looking pretty interesting so far and will be 'accessible' from the readership point of view (I really hope it can get some circulation in the Pacific Islands). A CD will be included.

The new CD 'Ae Tinil Wen Lir: Music of Lihir' - the first CD of music from the Lihir island group, which Kirsty Gillespie recorded, researched and produced in collaboration with the Lihirian Cultural Heritage Committee - was launched in March 2009 on Lihir. The following month it received coverage in a number of newspapers, including The National: http://www.thenational.com.pg/042809/wkender3.php.

The CD is part of a wider project to support Lihirian cultural heritage. See http://www.csrm.uq.edu.au/index.html?page=106698&pid=0.

Just returned from fieldwork in Honiara and found that music is ever changing in the capital of Solomon Islands.
There are currently a wide range of artists, some more unique than others, and the music scene is expanding every month.

I was in Lae when the International Music Festival took place in August 2007. For me personally, PNG was finally taking the right path in promoting its music and the world’s music to its people and to the world.
This was not some one-night bash at a night club where adults convoy in to dance in drunken stupor with no genuine appreciation of the talents and music being performed.

In Melbourne at the end of November there will be an expo for "world music" -
http://www.awme.com.au/

I've always been interested in the disparity between "world music" and lokal musik in Melanesia. Another way of putting this might be the difference between what people in Australia want to listen to in terms of music from the region, and what most Melanesians actually listen to. Perhaps this expo is a forum to explore that. I know Placid Walekwate Jr from the Solomon Islands Music Federation is going, and hope other musicians from the region attend.

Great trip to Moresby - I love that city - catching up with people and getting more work done on the industry research. Some interesting developments in relation to Tribe of Jubal using Sanguma material without permission (why?!) and a resultant court order. Met up with Alain Lecante from Mangrove, went to the Anslom gig at the country club (great venue for a medium sized crowd) and caught a performance at UPNG (Tony Subam's creative group - the third years). Roll on next trip.

Just on the way back from the Society for Ethnomusicology conference in Honolulu. I made a lot of changes to this site before I left, but the site seems to have reverted to a previous version somehow - I know the hosting company was moving servers, but that is pretty bad form. Oh well. Spent a month in PNG mid-Oct to mid-Nov; lots of catching up with people, and starting work on analysis of the music industry in PNG. My stringband book was launched in Port Moresby at IPNGS as well, which went very well (despiite the minister not turning up).

Have been in Honiara for the last week, organising a research application and talking to relevant people. The trade and culture show starts tomorrow and the program for music is amazing - seven days of bands from 11am to 7pm.
There is a really lively home studio recording scene here, and I visited a great little studio yesterday. Information about recording techniques and equipment is certainly needed, so that will be a task for me over the next few months, to be hosted at this website.