Discover Music from the Pacific

Part of the ARC label's Discover series, this compilation features music from across the many island nations of the Pacific. From Micronesia in the west, and Tahiti to the east, with Fiji, Tonga and Samoa in the middle, Hawaii to the north, and New Zealand in the south, the entire Oceania region is well represented.

Relying heavily on the 1970-80s field recordings of intrepid English ethnomusicologist David Fanshawe, as well as several tracks from Québec, Canada's long-running Festival Mondial des Cultures, it would be difficult to find a more wide-ranging collection of culturally significant Pacific recordings. With examples from both Melanesian and Polynesian societies, of particular interest are the tracks from cultures that are infrequently heard from, such as the spirited community singing from Kiribati and tiny Chuuk Atoll in Micronesia, a mave (welcome rite) from the Marquesas Islands, and the sweet Rapa Nui voices of Easter Island. Also of note are the percussive bamboo rhythms from the Solomon Islands, energetic log drumming from the Cook Islands, and an impressive Maori ‘Haka Hou’ from the Kahurangi Maori Dance Ensemble.

Along with the mainly traditional fare, there are also contemporary offerings from Tokelau band Te Vaka, and even a group of old-timers playing a delightfully lazy Pacific tune at Tonga's Dateline Hotel.