Tahiti

Isle of adventure

Tahiti..... the very name evokes images of exotic tropical islands. They are images well deserved, for the beauty of the islands is matched by the spirit of the Polynesian people and the richness of their cultural traditions.

Early Tahitian inhabitants originally came from Central Polynesia. While they migrated, over 2.000 years ago, they spread throughout the area to other island groups in Eastern Polynesia, including Rarotonga (Cook Island), Tuamotu Islands, the Marquesas, and eventually even Hawai´i.

Tahiti is probably discovered in the seventeenth century by Spain. However when the french navigator Count Louis-Antoine de Bougainville visited Tahiti, in 1768, it was claimed to be French territory. Ever since 1842 Tahiti is under French constitution.

Breathtaking dances

Ote´a - Tamure - Aparima

In ancient times tradition of entertainment in Tahiti was centered on a special guild of traveling performers, the so called ´arioi´. They sailed on great double-hulled canoes from bay to bay and island to island, performing dance, pantomime dramas and chants. These performances were usually performed in honor of Oro, their deity of peace, agriculture and fertility.

Most well-known are ofcourse the traditional drumming dances, ´ote´a´, including the graceful yet energetic hip-shaking ´ori´Tahiti or ´Tamure´. These dances are performed by young and old throughout the islands. While the women demonstrate remarkable dexterity with their hip movements, the best female dancers are expected to keep their shoulders relatively still throughout the performance.

Exciting drums of Tahiti

To´ere - Fa´atete - Pahu

The compelling rhythms of the dance are provided by traditional To´ere or horizontal split gong wooden drums, and Fa´atete or upright wooden drum. The Pahu or Tari Parau were the most important of Tahitian percussive instruments. They were covered with sharkskin and played with drumsticks. The ancient Pau Rima, which was beaten with the hands, has become a common drum in modern Tahiti. Accompanied by the Vivo or bamboo nose flutes, these instruments were originally used during sacred ceremonies or to entertain royalty.

More modern Tahitian dances feature the guitar and ukulele which have become important since their introduction by European settlers, but as in Hawai´i, the islanders have added their own stylings and strummings to these instruments.