Traditional Music

In addition to my wilderness adventures, I also got to spend some time learning about the traditional cultures of Australia and New Zealand through the expression of music. Some of the music I heard was very similar to that of the United States, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere, consisting of all sorts of different genres from country to hip-hop. I was pleasantly surprised, however, by the indigenous music I stumbled across while wandering the streets of Australia!

As I strolled through Sydney, I heard a long tone, fluctuating from high to low. My curiosity got the best of me so I followed the sound to a group of people I saw crowded around it. As I approached I got a better look at what was producing this unfamiliar noise. There was a man covered from head to toe with white tribal paint in various patterns sitting cross-legged on the ground. He was blowing into a long, hollow instrument that appeared to be made out of bamboo. It was elaborately decorated and produced such a unique sound that I just had to learn more about it! I turned to the person next to me to ask about this exotic instrument and he told me that it was called a Didgeridoo.



I was not satisfied by only knowing the name of the unfamiliar instrument, so I waited until the man had finished performing to ask him about it. He told me that the Didgeridoo is an ancient instrument of the aboriginal people of Australia, traditionally used in ceremony, ritual, and celebration. He said there were many myths and legends about this mysterious instrument that linked it to the creation of the world in these cultures. Also, in these ceremonies it was accompanied by a “songman” who sang stories of dreamtime. It added a little color to the stories and helped the others with the timing of their parts. Would you believe that they used to only let males play them?! Initiated men were the only ones who could perform at ceremonies of designated spiritual and cultural significance. Apparently the aboriginal society had strong beliefs about the separation of male and female responsibilities and rights. Even today, women are expected to respect their traditional culture and refrain from playing the Didgeridoo.

Here’s a short video I took of my new friend playing the Didgeridoo:


Still fascinated by the traditional music of Australia, I caught myself searching out other historical expressions of music in my travels to New Zealand as well. This time I did my research and came across the song and dance of the Maori people, the indigenous people of New Zealand. They are Polynesian and make up about 14% of the country’s populations. Their history is predominantly filled with war and oppression, with the greatest problem prior to the introduction of European diseases being over-population. This caused a need for territorial expansion and subsequently brought excessive warfare, which in turn influenced the energetic songs and dances of the Maori people.



I knew I wouldn’t be so lucky as to stumble across this historical music so I looked up a performance I could attend the following day. While listening to the songs I noticed that they used a style I recognized from my research called “heightened speech”. This is a transition between speech and song in which a leader calls out the main words in a raised pitch and the chorus responds. In addition to vocal noises, they also incorporated various body percussions like stamping feet, clapping hands, and slapping thighs to help carry out the rhythm. These chants may be called out in areas throughout Oceania to express the history of the tribe or some personal genealogy. I quickly realized that this type of music was not valued for its aesthetic effect, but rather for its conveyance of the information it contains.



As a huge music lover I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the historical music of Australia and New Zealand! It really opened my eyes to new types of music while educating me on their culture at the same time!

Works Cited
http://www.sunreed.com/Didgeridoos.htm
http://www.australianoriginals.com/docs/products.cfm?SubCatalog=123
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/sass/music/musicarchive/NZInfo.html
http://www.janesoceania.com/newzealand_maori_music/index.htm
http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/culture/maori/

Pictures and Video
http://www.steveandjacqui.com/images/Didgeridoo%20Player.jpg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sa0KhHQFMdw
http://www.barreoperahouse.org/magick-event.php/Kahurangi_@_Pahiatua.jpg
http://www.johnsommers.com/johnsommers/2004NewZealand/Places%20Large/NZ0004.jpg