TONGA: MUSIC AND DANCE

Tongan music generally falls into three main categories: traditional music, religious music, and secular music. There are some similarities with other Polynesian musical styles. Many of these traditional musical styles are often performed at ceremonies and festivals. Radio Tonga also is a key promoter of traditional music.

There are a few instruments that are used in Tongan music. One slightly odd instrument is the nose flute. It’s a type of woodwind instrument with finger holes and a setup like a recorder, but it’s played through the nose instead of the mouth. This seems like it’s not quite the most sanitary of instruments. There was one famous nose flute player named Ve’ehala, but it’s not really performed much today. There’s also a type of slit-gong called the lali that is often used in place of a church bell.

When European missionaries arrived in Tonga, they brought along with them their music as well. Hymns suddenly made their way into Tongan culture and fused itself with their traditional music. However, it depends on which denomination we’re talking about on how integrated Western religious music is. Methodist churches often use unaccompanied singers, with a leader starting off the hymns and having the others join in. The Free Wesleyan Churches have a strong choral presence, but they also make use of brass bands.

Because of their ties with traditional music, there are also a few dances that are still commonly performed. The ula (also known as the faha’i-ula) is a type of split dance. This is mostly danced by girls who are split into two groups on either side of the stage and meet in the middle, mostly movements coming from the hands and head. The ‘otuhaka dance has a strong influence from Samoa. The dancers here sit cross-legged and dance using their arms. This dance can be performed by both men and women and is usually followed by the ula dance. A related dance is the ma'ulu'ulu. Another dance considered part of Tongan intangible heritage is the lakalaka dance group that often performs at special occasions. For this one, women typically make smaller steps while the men’s movements are more lively.

There wasn’t a lot of Tongan music I found that has been produced commercially. I did find a couple nose flute songs by the one and only Ve’ehala. If you’re listening to it, you probably wouldn’t even know he’s playing it with his nose. Unless you’re a nose flute connoisseur or something.

Ve'ehala

I also found the music of The Jets, a Tongan-American band from the 1980s. Their family moved from Tonga to Minnesota, and they had enough kids to staff a basketball team with an entire reserve team. And they really embraced the 80s teen pop ballad/pop hits. I recognized a few of the song but had no idea what their band was called.

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