Hawaiian Drum Dance Chants: Sounds of Power in Time

Various Artists - International - Pacific Islands - Hawaii | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 13, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Smithsonian Folkways
• ASIN: B000001DGP
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #188,186 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

In the eastern Polynesian islands known as Hawaii, the making of music and dance is center on mele or chanted texts. Mele, sung alone, are said to be performed in the oli style (without dance or musical instruments). When coupled with hula (dance), they are called mele hula, and when the pahu drum is added the performance is called mele hula pahu. More specific terms are also applied to mele that are used for specific purposes such as processionals, prayers, and naming.

The practice of perpetuating tradition through the teacher-student relationship is strong in Hawaiian mele. Performers’ styles are recognized, back through time, in their teacher’s, and their teachers’ teacher’s styles. These recordings give a view of several performance styles of Hawaiian mele between 1923 and 1989, although the traditions and the mele reach much further back in time

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A scholarly look at Polynesian folk music, November 12, 2002

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Hawaiian Drum Dance Chants: Sounds of Power in Time (Audio CD)

The sparse sounds of "hula pahu," the plaintive sounds of Hawaiian hula songs. This is a pretty hardcore folkloric collection, with minimal drumming and bare-bones vocals. It's certainly not for most casual listeners, but invaluable for anyone seeking to make a serious investigation into the roots of Hawaiian music.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Haunting, Powerful, September 17, 2000

By 

Kevin & Bouke (Spread Over 3 Continents) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hawaiian Drum Dance Chants: Sounds of Power in Time (Audio CD)

I found this music, despite it's fairly simple format (almost entirely voice and simple drumming) nonetheless weaves a dense fabric. It is at times haunting, often powerful, and worth repeated listenings.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Healing Music from Polynesia, November 12, 2002

By 

Zekeriyah (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Hawaiian Drum Dance Chants: Sounds of Power in Time (Audio CD)

Hawaiian Drum Dance Chants: Sounds of Power in Time is an excellent CD. These vintage recordings are true Hawaiian Hula Pahu songs, performed by some of the last few people familar with traditional Hawaiian culture. As the introductory notes say, this is music with a cultural and religious significance and deserves to be treated as such. Now that that has been stated, the music itself is well worth listening to. It is sung in Hawaiian, complete with linear notes, in both Hawaiian and English. I found the translations to be quite enjoyable, especially as they are presented in metric form. Unlike most other non-western forms of music, Hawaiian music isn't that unfamilar to western ears. Even if you don't speak Hawaiian, you probably can appreciate this deeply moving collection of music. The first six tracks are actually more "contemporary" Hula Pahu songs. Of them, Mele Pule, Mele Kahea and Hanohano ka uka o Pihanakalani are perhaps the most enjoyable. From then on, we are given traditional and historical recordings from the Bishop museum. These are some of the best parts of the CD. Astute ears will notice some key differences between these and previous tracks. Nonetheless, it remains quite enjoyable. Even though the quality of some of these tracks is a little scratchy, it is still an excellent CD.