Pacific Magazine > Magazine > June 1, 2003

Stuff We Like

Stuff We Like

Mixed Voices Compiled

Despite a tacky-tiki-style cover, Magic of the South Seas is an excellent compilation of eastern and central Polynesian music, including some of the early recordings of the now-famous New Zealand-based group, Te Vaka. Britain’s ARC Music Productions used David Fanshawe’s ethnomusicological and sound recording expertise to get these important renditions of traditional vocal harmonies from Tahiti, the Marquesas, Fiji, Tonga and Te Vaka’s homeland, Tokelau. These tight traditional harmonies are accompanied by only the sparest of traditional instruments, especially the log drum. With liner notes in English, French, German and Spanish, this anthology is directed to a wide audience. Magic of the South Seas, ARC Music, www.arcmusic.co.uk. $US10.99.

Times Royal Row

Tongan journalist Kalafi Moala has become something of a celebrity, as his paper, Taimi o Tonga continues to run afoul of the Tongan Royal family’s taste in literature. Moala has been jailed, his Tongan staff harassed and his company frequently brought to dock over the monarchy’s displeasure about the topics Moala discusses—subversive themes like democracy, free speech and governmental transparency. In Island Kingdom Strikes Back, Moala gives his readers a blow-by-blow account of his battle royale. Island Kingdom Strikes Back, Pacmedia Publishers Ltd. To order, email: pacmedianz@yahoo.com.

Men Eating Crab

The favorite Web site we came across this month is hosted by the government of the tiny island of Sonsorol in the Republic of Palau. It’s a sophisticated site that former visitors from Italy helped the mayor of Sonsorol construct. You can get travel directions to the island, you can view galleries of still photos as well as movie clips of kids splashing in the ocean, fishermen fishing and grown men eating crab. The site has some history of the island plus vintage photos and neat link to the NOAA satellite weather image of Micronesia. The site is inducement enough for the curious and the adventuresome to get on a plane and check it out. Until you can get there, you can at least click it out at: www.sonsorol.com.

Skin Stories

Last month, NGO Pacific Islanders in Communications hosted a preview showing and reception for the new tattoo documentary Skin Stories at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. The next day the video was broadcast nationally on the U.S. Public Broadcasting System. Recounting the history of the art of tattooing, the one-hour documentary features traditional tattoo ceremonies and techniques in a tour of the Pacific that includes Aotearoa, Hawaii, Tonga and Samoa. Producers Lisa Altieri and Emiko Omori, give us compelling interviews with tattoo masters, as well as with their tattoo recipients, who talk about what this outer expression of identity meant to their inner cultural and spiritual lives. To order online, go to www.kpbs.org. $US24.90