Name: Paal Haegland
Age: 27
Nationality: Norwegian
University: University of Bergen
Field of research: Anthropology and ethnomusicology
Planned research: Looking into modern music among the young people of the Solomon Islands, both in Honiara and in the provinces. I will attempt to look into how the meaning of their music is conveyed, also what types of music they tend to use. I want to see if they are part of something global, or if they have created something unique to the Solomon Islands.
Reason for research: After an exchange at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo my interest for the Pacific became even stronger. And the head of the anthropology department in Bergen, Dr. Edvard Hviding - one of the leading scholars on the Solomons - approached me with the suggestion that I do this research. I have played music for many years, so I felt this was the perfect research for me.