Oceania on Music Theory Print

Australian country music

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Australian country stars#

Notable musicians include: Adam Brand, Adam Harvey, Amber Lawrence, Caitlyn Shadbolt, Christie Lamb, Jasmine Rae, Troy Cassar-Daley, Davidson Brothers, Slim Dusty, Steve Forde, Joy McKean (Australia’s Grand Lady Of Country Music), Jean Stafford (Australia’s Queen Of Country Music), Olivia Newton-John, Lionel Long, John Williamson, Chad Morgan, Keith Urban, O’Shea, Lee Kernaghan, Melinda Schneider, Kasey Chambers and Beccy Cole. Others influenced by the genre include Paul Kelly and Tex Perkins. Popular songs include When the Rain Tumbles Down in July (1946), Waltzing Matilda (1895), Pub With No Beer (1957), Lights on the Hill (1973), I Honestly Love You (1974), True Blue (1981), Boys From the Bush (1992), and Not Pretty Enough (2002).

Australian hardcore

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Early history (late 1970s–early 1980s)#

Brisbane was at the forefront of the hardcore punk scene in the late 70s with bands emerging such as Young Identities, Public Execution, Razar, Mystery Of Sixes and The Leftovers. Sydney had a strong following of hardcore punk bands in the early 1980s such as Vigil Anti, Massappeal, Hard-Ons and Johnny Dole & The Scabs. Depression and Vicious Circle from Melbourne were two of the most popular hardcore bands in Australia, which formed in 1982 and 1983, respectively. Depression released 3 LP’s, 3 singles & 1 EP before disbanding in 1989. Where’s the Pope? from Adelaide was another popular hardcore band forming in 1985 and releasing their first LP “Straight Edge Holocaust” in 1987. Adelaide was also home to early hardcore punk band The Skunks who formed in 1979 and released their first EP in 1982. Rupture from Perth was another popular band forming in the mid-1980s. Canberra was home to The Vacant Lot a band who formed in 1978 and played quite a few gigs around the nations capital until they disbanded in August 1980. The Vacant Lot released one EP in 1980.

Australian indie rock

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Beginnings#

Rock and roll in Australia got started in the late 1950s and 1960s, influenced by the sounds coming from the United States and UK. Early on, the surf rock sound dominated, though in the mid-1960s, the beat genre from the UK had become established. Numerous garage bands formed in the cities and suburbs, and a vibrant musical culture began. Isolated from the diversity of genres in the Northern Hemisphere, Australian mainstream record labels tried to replicate the success of trends imported from overseas and produce radio-friendly singles by successful artists such as John Farnham and the Easybeats. In the meantime, Russell Morris enjoyed a surprise hit with singles such as “The Real Thing”. Produced by music legend Ian Molly Meldrum, and written by singing star Johnny Young, the single encompassed high production values and a psychedelic approach in its use of instruments such as a sitar, sampling of a children’s choir, and its 6-minute running time (unusually long for the time). While released by EMI, this domestic production inspired a generation of bands, singers, and songwriters that home-grown Aussie talent could produce world-beating music. The single charted well in New York, Houston and Chicago.

Australian reggae

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The first Reggae sound system in Australia was Soulmaker, established in 1972 by J.J. Roberts, a Jamaican from Saint Catherine Parish. Bob Marley & The Wailers toured Australia in 1979, playing Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney. Reggae had success on the radio charts in New Zealand in the early 1980s when Toots and the Maytals, the first artist to use the term “reggae” in song, went to number one with their song “Beautiful Woman”. One of the first Australian reggae bands was Untabu. The original members of the band came from Trinidad & Tobago, Bruce Mc Clean - guitar and Errol H Renaud - steel pan, lead singer Ras Roni from Barbados, percussionist Jorge Morales from Puerto Rico and Fijians Rupeni Davui - bass, James Purmodh - drums and Joel Knight - keys. They had releases on Larrikin Records and were resident in a number of clubs in the Darlinghurst and Manly area of Sydney. They also toured the East coast regularly. They performed original music and reggae covers. The Aboriginal band No Fixed Address from Adelaide also had reggae songs in their repertoire. In 1981, the Australian band Men at work topped the Australian charts with the reggae-rock song Down Under. The same song topped the New Zealand charts in February 1982. The song topped the Canadian charts in October 1982 and, in the United States, the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100. In 1984, Australian label Corroboree Records had its first release with Dangerous Times. This 7" single was recorded at Channel One Studios with the Roots Radics, voiced and mixed at King Tubby’s with Bugs as engineer, and voiced by Dudley Green and General Justice. It Contains the song “Dangerous Dub” on the B side, which was mixed by King Tubby. It was released in Jamaica, the UK and Australia. In 1985 Larry Maluma arrived in Australia from Zambia with master tapes recorded in Zambia. He remixed a couple of tracks, Black or White and Chimutima Chako at AAV studios in Melbourne for a 45 single vinyl which was released in 1986 under his own newly formed independent (Safari Music) label. In 1987, two years after his arrival from Zambia Larry Maluma released his first album Confusion on his own Safari Music label. The video clip “Black and White” from the same album was aired on Countdown Revolution and Rock Arena on ABC. Larry Maluma went on to release his 14th album, Ndakondwa (I’m Happy), in 2014. The first notable dub release in Australia was Ten Dubs That Shook The World by Sheriff Lindo and the Hammer, issued on the artist’s own label, Endless Recordings, in 1988. The LP was reissued on the Creative Vibes label with five extra tracks in 1998, and again by EM Records of Japan in 2006, on CD (catalogue number EM1049CD) and LP (EM1049LP), limited to 500 copies. The CD version contains five extra tracks. Melbourne-based band The Red Eyes released their first live CD in 2003 Live at the Evelyn, following it with two CD EPs, two full-length albums (Rudeworld in 2006 and Red Army in 2010) and the 2011 single Circles before disbanding. Their catalog contains reggae, dub and occasional drum ’n’ bass tracks. The band’s lead singer El Witeri is Maori, and their work has been remixed by New Zealand dub producer, Deep Fried Dub. In September 2006, Astronomy Class released Exit Strategy on the record label Elefant Traks. The record fused reggae and hip hop music. In February 2007, Melbourne-based producer Mista Savona released Melbourne Meets Kingston on Elefant Traks. It is a 21-track collaboration with Jamaican singers and deejays such as Anthony B, Determine and Big Youth. In September 2008, the Sydney-based band King Tide released their debut album To our Dearly Deported on the UK label Urban Sedated. The single “No Dog War” was used worldwide by the Sony corporation for their Wag the Dog campaign. The commercial shot in Brazil featured members from the cast of the feature film City of God. In December 2009, Australian artist Matty Woods released The Ras Gong Guerrilla EP, a 10-track recording that tackles Australian and international political issues such as Indigenous sovereignty, climate change and human rights. Waves of migration to Australia in the late 20th and early 21st centuries have brought musicians from Africa and Asia to Australia, where they have continued to write, record and perform reggae music, sometimes in combination with other more directly African forms of music. In South Australia, Ras Minano is one example, and the dancehall artist Sokel is another. In Melbourne, Ras Jahknow and the Irie Band (which has Sri Lankan roots) are two more examples. Desert Reggae is a developing contemporary style possibly originating in Central Australia and featuring lyrics often sung in Australian Aboriginal languages. As of 2015, many indigenous Australian artists from the Northern Territory represented by the Aboriginal owned and operated music label CAAMA Music identify as reggae or ska artists (often in combination with rock). Artists include Tjintu Desert Band (previously known as Sunshine Reggae) and Tjupi Band. Some also identify as Desert Reggae artists, with examples including Lajamanu Teenage Band, Rising Wind, Irrunytju Band and Eastern Arrernte Band. Annual music event Bush Bands Bash in Alice Springs features many Desert Reggae bands. Reggaeton, a music genre that blends reggae, hip hop, and traditional Latin American music, is also popular in Australia. The genre first came to prominence when Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Daddy Yankee released his most notable single, “Gasolina,” to Australian radio in 2006. Already a hit worldwide, it reached a peak of No. 12 on the ARIA Singles Chart and was certified Platinum, making it one of the few Spanish-language songs to reach that position on the Australian charts.

Australian ska

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Beginnings#

The first Australian ska band was Adelaide-based band The Jumpers, which formed in 1979. Other early Australian ska bands included Sydney bands Allniters, The Hangovers and Itchy Feet (led by vocalist Tim Freedman, who went on to form the commercially successful band The Whitlams) and Melbourne bands Strange Tenants, No Nonsense and Loonee Tunes. The Allniters, No Nonsense and Strange Tenants were the most high-profile Australian ska bands of this era. with the Allniters and No Nonsense both gaining Australian chart success. The first ska bands in Australia included The Letters, formed in Melbourne in 1979, featuring founding member of Strange Tenants, John Holmes with Les Toft, Shane Whiteside and Mark Egerton; and Melbourne band, Noisy Neighbours. Both bands played in most main independent venues in Melbourne, often together. Melbourne band No Nonsense emerged from an early ska band called Dicky Moron and the Rude Boys, which had a name change from Dicky Moron and the Four Skins. Both bands were fronted by lead singer Richard Bruce. Using band members’s recollections, a Premier Artists running sheet, newspaper gig guide advertising, it can be stated with confidence that No Nonsense’s first gig was supporting Melbourne band Alice and the Alligators at the Turf Club Hotel, Ararat on Saturday 17 October 1981. Strange Tenants first gig was on the 7th November 1981 at Lygon street Festa, Carlton. Loonee Tunes formed soon after in 1982. In 1987, the Newcastle-based band The Pork Hunts appeared on the scene, soon changing their name to The Porkers. They spent more than 20 years touring and recording many albums, the most recent of which, This is The Porkers, was released in 2007. More recent notable bands include Mad Not Madness, Area 7, The Kittyhawks, the Bedlam Beggars, Backy Skank, Los Capitanes, General Pants and the Privates, Sounds Like Chicken, The Seen, Loin Groin, Yeah Yeah, Just Kidding, Skamen, Trojan Horns, Blowhard, Dr. Raju, Addiction 64, Suspect 7, The Lyrical Madmen, Steel City Allstars, Bagster, The Mad Dash, Foghorn Leghorn, The Resignators, Rubix Cuba, Dr. Octopus, Son of Dad, CatchCry, Rad Rockets Are GO!, The Prophets of Impending Doom, The Accelerators, NR&D (Nuts, Racoons & Dragons), The My Tys and The Mouldy Lovers. Bands such as the Cat Empire have mixed ska with other genres such as jazz and calypso. There are regular ska and radio shows on the independent Brisbane radio station 4ZzZ.

Australian thrash metal

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

1980s#

It is uncertain where or when the thrash metal scene in Australia began, but one of the earliest records of a band playing the style of music would be the Melbourne group Heresy in 1982, who would later change their name to Nothing Sacred. While the members of Nothing Sacred did not consider themselves a thrash metal group, the influences from the style were apparent, also blending influences from NWOBHM and, on their full-length album Let Us Prey hardcore punk, with a cover of an SOD song. Peter Hobbs, front-man from the Melbourne band Tyrus, would later collaborate with the members of Nothing Sacred to record the early demos of what would later become Hobbs’ Angel of Death. 1985 through to 1992 was the “peak” period of the Australian thrash metal scene, as local audiences with interest in the genre began to increase, and more bands would begin playing the style of music. Sydney’s Mortal Sin were founded in 1985 by vocalist Mat Maurer and drummer Wayne Campbell, from the remnants of a traditional metal band called Wizzard. In 1986 the band recorded the demo Mayhemic Destruction. So impressed were the band with the recording’s turnout, Mortal Sin decided to release Mayhemic Destruction as an album the following year to praising reviews, and helped them establish a healthy fanbase locally and overseas, eventuating in a national tour with Metallica in 1989 and an overseas tour with Testament and Faith No More in 1990. Sydney band Slaughter Lord were also impressing fans across the seas, but after only a release of one demo tape (titled Taste of Blood), the band disintegrated in 1987 after only one year of activity. Swedish band At the Gates would record a Slaughter Lord cover song (Legion) on their 1995 Slaughter of the Soul album. Another band, Addictive were also well known in the Sydney scene, releasing two albums and headlining a metal festival with Motörhead before ending in 1996. Melbourne’s thrash scene was also on the rise in the 1980s, with bands like Renegade and Rampage recording albums. Hobbs’ Angel of Death released their self-titled album in 1988 through German label Steamhammer/SPV Records. Possibly one of the heaviest Australian recordings of its time, Hobbs’ Angel of Death showcased a very distinct, heavily Satanic, Slayer-influenced sound. While initially intended as a studio project, Hobbs’ Angel of Death would play a few shows before ending at the turn of the decade, but would reform several times over the next few years. In other cities, interest in thrash metal was also on the rise, with Canberra band Armoured Angel and Alchemist’s early demos showcasing distinct thrash metal sounds. Both bands would later evolve in their sounds later in their respective careers, with Armoured Angel transforming into a death metal group and Alchemist incorporating more psychedelic and progressive influences in their sound. Black Widow from Brisbane, who played an Alice Cooper and Motörhead influenced style of what they dubbed to be “black metal”, would later change their line-up and reform under the name Iron Lightning, which showcased a melodic thrash sound similar to Megadeth.

Bush ballad

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Characteristics#

The songs tell personal stories of life in the wide open country of Australia. Typical subjects include mining, raising and droving cattle, sheep shearing, wanderings, war stories, the 1891 Australian shearers’ strike, class conflicts between the landless working class and the squatters (landowners), and bushrangers such as Ned Kelly, as well as love interests and more modern fare such as trucking. Although not technically bush ballads, there are also numerous sea shanties formerly sung by whalers and other sailors, as well as songs about the voyage made by convicts and other immigrants from England to Australia, which are sung in a similar style. While subject matter may be constant, musical styles differ between traditional and contemporary bush ballads. Exemplars of the traditional bush ballad style include Slim Dusty’s When the Rain Tumbles Down in July or Leave Him in the Long yard which have strong narrative in verses plus choruses set to a Pick n’ Strum beat. Contemporary bush ballads may employ finger picking and strumming rock styles.

Dolewave

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Influences and style#

Dolewave music has been described as “intrinsically depressed … beautiful and poignant in an aggressively sad way, in a fashion we can only laugh along with.” Lyrics often contain local signifiers and other Australian pop cultural references, giving the songs a distinct sense of place that points both to the musicians’ fondness for Australia, and their “intense need to scrutinise” it. Academic Ian Rogers writes that dolewave bands often choose to sound “rough-and-ready, and occasionally unskilled”, and their recordings almost always have minimal production value. According to music critic Everett True, dolewave’s “recalcitrant and ramshackle” sound mirrors the “makeshift venue culture” that many of the bands find themselves in: “underneath decrepit Queenslanders, in open park spaces, in warehouses, rundown pubs, front rooms of share houses”.

Drill music

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Lyrics#

Drill lyrics tend to be adversarial and aggressive, sometimes with a “combative energy”. Drill lyrics strongly contrast with the subject matter of earlier Chicago rappers and contemporary mainstream hip hop which at the time of drill’s emergence tended to glorify and celebrate a rise to wealth. Drill rappers use a grim, deadpan delivery, often filtered through Auto-Tune, influenced by the “stoned, aimless warbling of Soulja Boy (one of the earliest non-local Keef collaborators) and Lil Wayne before him.” Atlanta-based rappers Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka Flame were important influences on the early drill rappers.

Dunedin sound

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

According to Matthew Bannister, Dunedin sound “was typically marked by the use of droning or jangling guitars, indistinct vocals and often copious quantities of reverberation.” Many Dunedin sound bands drew inspiration from punk rock, as well as pop, rock, and psychedelic music of the 1960s. The origin of the Dunedin sound is often associated with the particular venues that the bands played at, such as the Empire Hotel and the Oriental Tavern.

Fakanau

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Form#

Male dancers performed around a circle, in a sitting position with arms, hands and upper body gestures, and all of them singing. An old dance master, at the center of the circle, kept the rhythm. In Niutao, however, the dances were performed in standing or kneeling positions. or beckonings. Faster than the fakaseasea and modern fatele, the dance was performed for entertainment and for ceremonies conducted in the faleaitu. However, the Fakanau would be performed in fragments during the night rather than just one dance. The content of the dances has been described as “incantations in fishing, a kind of dramatic monologue — calling to the fish, pleading, charming, even abusing — as moods are acted out.”

Fakaseasea

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Tuvaluan dance music#

Dancing songs are the most common type of traditional Tuvaluan songs. Older style dancing songs were known to be performed while sitting, kneeling or standing. The two primary traditional dances of Tuvalu are the fakanau (for men) and oga (for women) and the fakaseasea. The modern fatele involves the women on their feet, dancing in lines; with the men facing the dancers, sitting on the floor beating the time with their hands on the mats or on wooden boxes, such as tea chests.

Fatele

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The traditional fatele#

The traditional fatele was performed in the sitting or kneeling position by five or six young unmarried women, who while singing, moved their arms, hand and upper body; the men and women act as the chorus. The most popular form of Tuvaluan dance music in the modern era is the fatele, which is influenced by European melody and harmony and is competitive, with each island divided into two sides. Lyricism is an important part of the fatele tradition, which begins with the older men singing a song in a meeting hall (maneapa), then gradually repeating it louder and quicker as the others join in; they also use empty cabin cracker cans or wooden boxes, such as tea chests to beat the rhythm.

Grunge

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The term “grunge” is American slang for “someone or something that is repugnant” and also for “dirt”. In 1988, it was first recorded as being applied to Seattle musicians in a Sub Pop mail order catalog, when Bruce Pavitt described Green River’s Dry as a Bone EP as “Gritty vocals, roaring Marshall amps. Ultra-loose GRUNGE that destroyed the morals of a generation”. Although the phrase “grunge” has been used to describe bands since the 1960s, this was the first association of grunge with the sound of a Seattle rock band. Nirvana’s frontman Kurt Cobain, in one of his final interviews, credited Jonathan Poneman, cofounder of Sub Pop, with coining the term “grunge” to describe the music. The term “Seattle sound” became a marketing ploy for the music industry. Seattle musician Jeff Stetson states that when he visited Seattle in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a touring musician, the local musicians did not refer to themselves as “grunge” performers or their style as “grunge” and they were not flattered that their music was being called “grunge”. Robert Loss acknowledges the challenges of defining “grunge”; he stated that, while he can recount stories about grunge, they do not serve to provide a useful definition. Roy Shuker states that the term “obscured a variety of styles.” Stetson states that prominent bands considered to be grunge (Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Mudhoney and Hammerbox) all sound different.

Indigenous music of Australia

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Didgeridoo#

A didgeridoo is a type of musical instrument that, according to western musicological classification, falls into the category of aerophone. It is one of the oldest instruments to date. It consists of a long tube, without finger holes, through which the player blows. It is sometimes fitted with a mouthpiece of beeswax. Didgeridoos are traditionally made of eucalyptus, but contemporary materials such as PVC piping are used. In traditional situations it is played only by men, usually as an accompaniment to ceremonial or recreational singing, or, much more rarely, as a solo instrument. Skilled players use the technique of circular breathing to achieve a continuous sound, and also employ techniques for inducing multiple harmonic resonances. Although traditionally the instrument was not widespread around the country - it was only used by Aboriginal groups in the most northerly areas - today it is commonly considered the national instrument of Aboriginal Australians and is world-renowned as a unique and iconic instrument. However, many Northern Aboriginal people continue to strenuously object to its frequent, inappropriate, use by both uninitiated Indigenous people of either gender, and by non-Indigenous Australians. Famous players include Djalu Gurruwiwi, Mark Atkins, William Barton, David Hudson, Joe Geia and Shane Underwood as well as white virtuoso Charlie McMahon.

Indigenous rock

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Australia#

In Australia, Aboriginal rock mixes rock styles and instruments (e.g. electric (guitar, bass and drums) with Indigenous Australian instruments such as the didgeridoo and clapsticks. Aboriginal rock is mostly performed by Indigenous bands, although some bands include non-Aboriginal members. Bands include Yothu Yindi, Us Mob and No Fixed Address. Yothu Yindi, with vocalist Mandawuy Yunupingu has politicised lyrics, such as 1991’s “Treaty”. Other songs relate more generally to Aboriginal culture. Another major band was the Warumpi Band, which toured with Midnight Oil. The Warumpi Band focuses more on the Aboriginal aspects of the music, rather than the rock sound of Yothu Yindi. In the 2000s, Aboriginal bands such as NoKTuRNL have adopted a rap metal or nu metal sound. Formal training institutions include the Government sponsored Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts. Famous songs include “Treaty”, “My Island Home”, and “Blackfella/Whitefella”.

Kapa haka

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Performance#

The work of a kapa haka consists of the group performance of a suite of songs and dances spanning several types of Māori music and dance, strung together into a coherent whole. Music and dance types that normally appear are (warm-up song), (entrance song), (action song), (challenge), or (old-style singing), (coordinated swinging of balls attached to cords), and (closing song). They may also include (synchronised manipulation of thin sticks). In a full performance, which can last up to 40 minutes, each music or dance type may appear more than once. Music for kapa haka is primarily vocal. All song types, with the notable exceptions of mōteatea and haka, are structured around European-style harmony, frequently with guitar accompaniment and acoustics. Spurts of haka-style declamation are woven into the songs, as are dance movements, facial expressions and other bodily and aural signals unique to Māori. Song poetry is completely in Māori and new material is continually being composed. The sole musical instruments used in kapa haka performances are the guitar, the conch shell, the sounds of and (see below) and body percussion, especially the stamping of feet. Every two years, kapa haka performers from all parts of New Zealand compete in Te Matatini, New Zealand’s annual, national Māori performing arts competition for adult groups. There is also a national secondary schools kapa haka competition Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua o Aotearoa that used to be part of Polyfest, where the level of performance is also very high.

Little Band scene

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

In 1978, members of Primitive Calculators, an experimental post-punk group from Melbourne, formed a short-lived side band, the Leapfrogs. Using it as their own opening act, they decided to form other “little bands” with friends, Ollie Olsen and other members of Whirlywirld who lived next door to the group in Fitzroy North, with rehearsal spaces in each house. The little bands grew in number, sharing instruments and equipment, and the term “North Fitzroy Beat” was coined to describe their sound. Soon they started staging “Little Band Nights” at various inner city venues, notably the Champion Hotel in Fitzroy, the Crystal Ballroom in St Kilda and the Exford in Chinatown, with occasional appearances in Carlton, Collingwood and Richmond. At first, strict rules were imposed: no little band was allowed to play more than twice and could have no more than fifteen minutes worth of material. Many of the little bands were composed of painters, poets, filmmakers, performance artists, and other non-musicians who enjoyed the opportunity to realise their naive musical ideas. Little band member John Murphy explained that “a lot of the original participants were artists who applied the Dada sort of approach of their painting”. One journalist described the little bands’ output as “sloppy, clangy and discordant. By turns, they could sound equally fantastic: a mixture of epileptic drum machine rhythms, stabbing synth lines and creepy/witty lyrics making for oddly compelling results.” Some members of the scene had received proper training in electronic music and composition, including Whirlywirld’s Ollie Olsen, who studied under Melbourne-based composer Felix Werder. Little band member and radio announcer Alan Bamford began recording Little Band Nights using a TEAC reel-to-reel tape recorder and a Shure microphone. Immediately following each gig, he caught a tram to 3RRR’s Fitzroy premises, where he broadcast the tapes on his midnight show. After the Calculators and Whirlywirld left Melbourne for Europe and London in early 1980, the Little Band scene centred on the shared spaces of Use No Hooks and The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed Up Zombies. The scene had effectively ended by early 1981.

Māori music

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Waiata#

Songs (waiata) are sung solo, in unison, or at the octave. Types of songs include lullabies (oriori), love songs (waiata aroha), and laments (waiata tangi). Traditionally all formal speeches are followed by a waiata sung by the speaker and their group of supporters. Some of the smaller wind instruments are also sung into, and the sound of the poi (raupō ball swung on the end of a flax cord) provides a rhythmic accompaniment to waiata poi.

Music of Canberra

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Popular music#

Jack Lumsdaine wrote and recorded the songs Canberra’s Calling to You and Queanbeyan in 1938, the sesquicentenary of European settlement. Promoters and record labels in Canberra include Capital City, Dream Damage, Hardrush Music, Hellosquare Recordings, KP Records (Distributed internationally by WIDEawake Entertainment), Bad Sounds, Canberra Musicians Club, Canberra Music Workshop, Metaphysical Productions (Hip Hop), Vacant Room Records and Birds Love Fighting Records.

Venues#

Venues for music in Canberra that are bars, clubs, community organisations or businesses that hold music based events including halls and other spaces that are available for hire. * The Abbey * A Bite to eat * Ainslie Main Hall * Albert Hall * ANCA Gallery * ANU Bar (Lic/AA & 18+) * ANU School of Music Big Band Room * Balcony Room Tuggeranong * The Basement (18+ & U18) * Belconnen Arts Centre * Belconnen Youth Centre * Burbidge Outdoor Amphitheatre * Burns Club, Kambah * Canberra Theatre Centre (Lic/AA) * Charnwood Scout Hall * Civic Youth Centre (AA) * Corroborree Park Function Room * Crosbie Morrison Amphitheatre * Deakin Scout Hall * Deakin Soccer Club * Downer Community Hall * Eucalypt Lawns * Evatt Scout Hall * The Eye at Canberra Business Events Centre * Floresco in the Gardens Cafe * The Folkus (Lic/AA) * The Front Gallery & Cafe * Garran Scout Hall * The George Harcourt Inn (18+) * Gordon Darling Hall * Goolabri * The Great Hall * Griffin Centre Hall * Griffith Hall * Gungaderral Homestead Hall * Harmonie German Club * Hippo * Kendall Lane Theatre * Kings Hall *King O’Malleys * Lake Ginninderra Sea Scout Hall * Lake View Ballroom * Larry Sitsky Recital Room * Llewellyn Hall * Macarthur Scout Hall * Majura Community Centre Function Room * Majura Hall * The Marble Foyer * Members Dining Room at Old Parliament House * The Merry Muse (18+) * Narrabundah Hall * Australian National Botanic Gardens Theatrette * National Carillon * National Library Foyer * National Library Theatre * New Acton Courtyard Stage and Cinema * Northside Community Service * Oaks Estate Community Centre * The Old Canberra Inn (18+) * Piano Bar * PJ O’Reilly’s Civic (18+) * PJ O’Reilly’s Tuggernong (18+) * Polish White Eagle Club * The Pot Belly (18+) * Reflections Room Tuggeranong * Richardson Scout Hall * Rose Cottage Canberra * Royal Theatre Canberra Convention Centre * Shadows (18+) *Sideway (18+) * Smiths Alternative * Street Theatre 1 * Street Theatre 2 * Theatre 3 * Tilley’s * Transit Bar (18+) * Tuggeranong Cabaret Space * Tuggeranong Theatre * Tuggeranong Youth Centre * UC Refectory * Waramanga/Fisher Scout Hall * The Warehouse (AA) * Wesley Music Centre * Weston Creek Community Centre * Westside Acton Park * Witness Protection Studios * Woden Youth Centre (AA) * Yarralumla Scout Hall * KnightsBridge Penthouse

Music of Samoa

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Instruments#

Traditional Samoan musical instruments included a fala, which is a rolled-up mat beaten with sticks. It is an idiophone which often accompanied choral singing. Another idiophone, a soundingboard, sometimes accompanied the solo recitation of poetry. A conch shell was blown for signaling. Amusement for small groups and individuals in private was afforded by a jaw harp, a raft panpipe, and a nose-blown flute. Samoan wooden slit drums and variants have been used throughout Samoa for over a thousand years. There are many uses for these wooden drums, including calling village meetings, in times of war and peace, songs/chants and dance, and signalling long distances in inter-island naval warfare. In recent times they are used predominantly for calling chiefly and royal ceremonies as well as contemporary religious practices. The five Samoan slit drum variants from largest to smallest are: 1) Logo - felled trees - largest of the drums - The logo can only be played by being struck from the side, for instance by sliding the beater or very large log-like playing stick across the top of the drums to hit the slit lip on the other side. The logo was used to announce the king of Samoa, high chiefs and monarchy in times of old. The logo was also used to announce attacks and signals during times of war see re: Samoan Civil War, the Fijian Wars and also the Tongan Wars. Samoa also has recorded historical records of lesser known battles with neighbouring islands of Manono, Pukapuka, Tokelau, Tuamotu and Rarotonga, these battles may be classed as independent isolated skirmishes and inter-Island skirmishes between large familial klan groups. 2) 2 x Lali - large drum - The Lali are always played in pairs by two drummers. One of them beats the larger of the two, this is called the Tatasi, the other drummer plays the smaller Lali in the rhythmic pattern called the Talua. Both slit drums are played with sticks called Auta. The Lali were said to be introduced from Fiji via Tonga before European discovery.. 3) Talipalau . The Talipalau skin drum was introduced to Samoa from east Polynesia in the 1800s, possibly as a result of early missionary society activities in both regions. 4) Pate - this hand-held slit drum was introduced from Tahiti in the 1800s, probably by British missionaries or their Tahitian converts. 5) Nafa - smaller slit drum also made from Milo wood. Now obsolete, only the name remains in proverbial expressions. “Amerika Samoa”, a song with words by Mariota Tiumalu Tuiasosopo and music by Napoleon Andrew Tuiteleleapaga, has been the official territorial anthem of American Samoa since 1950. “The Banner of Freedom,” a song that honors the flag of Samoa, has been the national anthem of Samoa since 1962; it was composed by Sauni Iiga Kuresa. Post-European contact With the introduction of Christianity, especially after the arrival of LMS missionaries in 1830, the music of Samoa was greatly influenced by Western evangelical hymnody and popular music, particularly North American popular music. Two stringed instruments quickly became commonplace in the islands: the guitar (kitara) and in the early 20th century the ‘ukulele. By the end of the 19th century, European-style brass bands had come into existence in the major towns. As the islands were Christianized late in the 19th century, ancient songs, accompanied by the percussive sound of sticks beating on a rolled mat, gave way to church choirs singing to the harmonies of pedaled organs. Later, radio transmissions brought more variety, as local artists and audiences embraced each wave of “new” music. The arrival of U.S. Marine Corps during World War II helped solidify the affinity for American popular music. Many earlier bands copied or imitated this music—a trend that continues. It is common practice and well accepted for Samoan music makers to take a Western song, replace the lyrics with Samoan words, and reintroduce the tune as an original. The guitar and ‘ukulele became the usual instruments for composing and performing music. That sound is now often replaced by the electronic keyboard and the multiplex of sounds and faux instruments available with it. Many current Samoan musicians “upgrade” old Samoan tunes with new technology, or imitate and copy American popular music.

New Zealand gamelan

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

In May 1974 the Indonesian Embassy in Wellington presented the NZBC Orchestra (now the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra) with a set of gongs. They were first played in November of that year after the composer Jack Body, who had spent time in Indonesia in the early 1970s, wrote a piece Resonance Music for guitar and six percussionists. Also in 1974 Allan Thomas, who became a lecturer in music at Victoria University of Wellington, returned to New Zealand bringing an antique gamelan orchestra with him. He had studied gamelan at the Tropen Museum in Amsterdam and lived in Cirebon, in north-west Java. Another early performance of gamelan was at the 1976 South Pacific Festival of Arts in Rotorua. In 1999 Thomas and Body organised the BEAT! Festival in Wellington to mark the 25th anniversary of gamelan in New Zealand. He composed for the university’s Gamelan Padhang Moncar (Javanese style gamelan orchestra) and has collaborated with several composers including Australian composer Paul Grabowsky on a piece called The Theft of Sita (2000) and Jack Body. As at 2021 Victoria has two gamelan: the Gamelan Padhang Moncar and the Gamelan Taniwha Jaya. The latter is a Balinese Gong Kebyar which was purchased by Gareth Farr in 2003. Other gamelan orchestras were set up in Auckland, Dunedin and Christchurch by the late 1990s. By 2008 there were Central Javanese gamelan at the University of Otago, Victoria University and in Auckland, gamelan gong kebyar at the University of Canterbury and Massey University and Cirebon gamelan at Victoria; there were gamelan tutors at four universities: Otago, Canterbury, Massey and Auckland. Gamelan was introduced to the University of Otago in 1995 by Professor Henry Johnson and the first set of bronze instruments from Central Java arrived in 1996. In Christchurch a Balinese Gong Kebyar was established at the University of Canterbury in 1995 by Elaine Dobson, who composed for the group.

New Zealand reggae

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Reggae bands in New Zealand the 1970s and 1980s included Herbs, Dread, Beat and Blood, Unity Pacific and the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The 1979 Bob Marley concert at Western Springs Stadium is credited with having a huge influence of the growth of reggae in the country and inspiring many prominent reggae artists The growth of the Rastafarian religion, particularly among Māori, was also a factor in the growth of the genre, and the high rates of use of marijuana among New Zealanders is likely to have had an influence. Reggae topped the charts in New Zealand in the early 1980s when Toots and the Maytals, the first artist to use the term “reggae” in song, went platinum with their song “Beautiful Woman”. The reggae scene is centred around the Waikato, Whanganui and the capital Wellington, with capital music having a more dub and jazz influenced sound. Most New Zealand reggae bands incorporate different stylistic influences, and the result is a unique combination of sounds. The scene is not without its detractors and is referred to derisively as “BBQ reggae”. The inference is that the music functions only as a boring, unchallenging backdrop for having a BBQ in the backyard. Sometimes this criticism is levelled at New Zealand reggae in particular, in contrast to other strains of reggae music. The most successful of recent acts is Fat Freddy’s Drop, who incorporate jazz, soul and dub influences and reflect the Wellington sound. They have won numerous awards and sold over 90,000 copies of their debut album. One of the most important groups of the last decade was Trinity Roots (1998–2005), who also melded sparse jazz melodies with their reggae to great effect. The Black Seeds are another group who have significant commercial success in recent times. Their albums On The Sun and Into the Dojo both sold double platinum and the group has toured extensively throughout Europe. Their latest album, Solid Ground, reached #15 on the US Reggae Charts. Other major groups include Katchafire, Cornerstone Roots, 1814, Kora, House of Shem and Tahuna Breaks. Major dub/electronic groups and solo artists include Pitch Black, Deep Fried Dub, Shapeshifter, International Observer and Salmonella Dub.

Nu metalcore

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Characteristics#

Nu metalcore often makes use of both screamed and sung vocals, breakdowns, heavy guitar riffs, hip hop-influenced drum beats and electronic music elements. Metal Injection writer Max Heilman specifically stated the style of metalcore that nu metalcore bands draw on is the original 1990s “metallic hardcore” style. An editorial for Thrash Hits cited Contemporary R&B as a key influence on the genre, comparing it to the influence hip hop had on the original nu metal genre.

Pub rock (Australia)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Background#

The emergence of the Australian version of the pub rock genre and the related pub circuit was the result of several interconnected factors. From the 1950s to the 1970s, mainly because of restrictive state liquor licensing laws, only a small proportion of live pop and rock music in Australia was performed on licensed premises (mostly private clubs or discotheques); the majority of concerts were held in non-licensed venues like community, church or municipal halls. These concerts and dances were ‘all-ages’ events—often with adult supervision—and alcohol was not served. During the 1960s, however, Australian states began liberalising their licensing laws. Sunday Observance Acts were repealed, pub opening hours were extended, discriminatory regulations — such as the long-standing ban on women entering or drinking in public bars — were removed, and in the 1970s the age of legal majority was lowered from 21 to 18. Concurrently, the members of the so-called “Baby Boomer” generation — who were the main audience for pop and rock music — were reaching their late teens and early twenties, and were thus able to enter such licensed premises. Pub owners soon realised that providing live music (which was often free) would draw young people to pubs in large numbers, and regular rock performances soon became a fixture at many pubs.

Punk rock in Australia

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

1973–1976#

The Saints, formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1973, were one of Australia’s first punk bands. The earliest incarnation of the Saints was formed by Ed Kuepper (guitar) and Chris Bailey (vocals). They shared a background in immigrant families (Kuepper’s German and Bailey’s Irish), and an admiration for high energy 1950s and 1960s music, such as the Detroit rock of the Stooges and MC5. During that time, Queensland was under the control of the conservative, allegedly authoritarian Country Party democratic government of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen. In mid-1976, the Saints recorded and distributed copies of their single “(I’m) Stranded”, which met nearly no critical or public response in Australia. In the UK, however, Sounds magazine received a copy, and declared it: “single of this and every week”. As a result, the band was signed to a three-album contract with EMI. Later the same year they recorded their first LP, which was also called (I’m) Stranded. Hampered by poor production and the indifference of radio stations, the LP failed commercially. In December the Saints moved to Sydney. During 1974, Radio Birdman formed in Sydney, led by another immigrant, Detroit-born medical student Deniz Tek. They also shared an interest in the Stooges and MC5, albeit with a result arguably more akin to hard rock than punk. Their dynamic live shows soon gained a fanatical following at inner city venues. Radio Birdman released an EP (Burn My Eye) and an album (Radios Appear) with better production values, but with similar commercial results to the Saints’ endeavours. In Adelaide, the first punk band was Black Chrome, which formed in 1975, followed by JAB in 1976. Black Chrome’s music attacked Australian apathy, its urban wasteland and its non-existent youth culture. JAB billed themselves as “Synthetic Shock Rock” and were the first Australian punk band to use live synthesisers and tape loop guitar and synthesiser solos. Adelaide in this period was a staid, conservative, and unreceptive city, and consequently the bands were ignored, feared, and could not secure gigs unless they booked venues themselves without disclosing that they were punk bands. Black Chrome’s Simon Stretton, who also founded the record label Tomorrow Records, recorded many early punk bands, including JAB, the Chosen Few, Bohdan X, the Accountants, the U-Bombs, the Dagoes, Psychosurgeons, the Lipstick Killers, Riff Raff, and Young Modern, as well as later punk. In some cases, they are the only audio record of the band. Riff Raff played at the Seacliff Hotel, while Irving and the U-Bombs were mixing reggae with punk at the Belair Hotel. The Dagoes were later described by Donald Robertson of Roadrunner as “a mutant brainchild of various import record store owners”. The Accountants learnt to play in the northern suburb of Elizabeth. In Perth – a geographically isolated city with social and political similarities to Brisbane – young musicians like Kim Salmon, Dave Faulkner and James Baker were also influenced by the Detroit bands, as well as New York proto-punk figures like Lou Reed and the New York Dolls. Salmon led the Cheap Nasties, and then the Scientists, before embarking on a solo career (and is regarded as a pioneer of grunge). Baker was in a short-lived act called the Geeks, before forming the Victims with Faulkner in 1977. They recorded an acclaimed single, “Television Addict”, before breaking up. Baker later joined the Scientists. Faulkner gravitated towards poppier sounds. In 1981, he and Baker founded a successful retro rock act, the Hoodoo Gurus.

Rock music in Australia

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

1950s to early 1960s: “First wave” of Australian rock#

In the mid-1950s American rockabilly and rock and roll music was taken up by local rock musicians and it soon caught on with Australian teens, through films, records and from 1956, television. Although issued in 1954, “Rock Around the Clock”, a single by United States group Bill Haley and His Comets, did not chart in Australia until 1956. Initially considered a novelty song, the track and the related film of the same name: “was like a beginner’s guide to rock and roll, and inspired legions of local copyists”. In July 1956 Frankie Davidson’s cover version of another Haley single, “Rock-A-Beatin’ Boogie”, was released and is the first charting example of Australian recorded rock and roll, albeit as a minor hit. Other early recorded examples by Australians include non-charting singles: “Saturday Night Fish Fry” by Les Welch (1954), “Rock Around the Clock” by Vic Sabrino (August 1955) and “Washboard Rock ’n’ Roll” by the Schneider Sisters (November 1956). Back in September 1953 US entrepreneur, Lee Gordon, arrived in Sydney and soon established himself nationally by organising a record-breaking tour by US singer Johnnie Ray in August 1954. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described Gordon as “the ‘midwife’ of Australian rock ’n’ roll, he cut an imposing figure in his role as label manager, tour promoter and all-round music entrepreneur”. From 1954 to 1962 Gordon’s Big Show promotions brought to Australia—in many cases for the first or only time—dozens of US jazz, rock and popular stars, including Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Artie Shaw, Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Bill Haley & the Comets, Little Richard, Buddy Holly & the Crickets, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Chuck Berry. He also promoted local talent by using Australian acts as support on those tours. In 1956 the Association of Australian Record Manufacturers (AARM) was established to regulate the music industry’s releases. United Kingdom’s EMI had dominated the Australasian record market since the end of WWII, and they made UK music a powerful force in the late 1950s and 1960s with signings like Cliff Richard and the Shadows, the Beatles, the Hollies and Cilla Black. EMI (Australia) also locally distributed Decca (the Rolling Stones’ label) as well as the US Capitol label (the Beach Boys). During this period, however, a number of local companies in Australia expanded into the growing Australian music market, which grew considerably after the emergence of the first wave of American rock ’n’ roll. In 1952 merchant bank, Mainguard took over a struggling Sydney engineering firm, retooled and relaunched it as Festival Records. Its main local competition was ARC (Australian Record Company), a former radio production and disc transcription service that established the successful Pacific, Rodeo and Coronet labels and competed with Festival as a manufacturer and distributor in New South Wales. Although most of the major labels were Sydney-based, Melbourne’s vibrant dance and concert scene powered a local boom in rock ’n’ roll and pop music and it became Australia’s pop capital in the 1960s. During the 1950s luthier Bill May expanded his Maton guitar company, becoming one of the first local manufacturers of the new electric guitars and amplifiers. In 1953 precision engineering company White & Gillespie established a custom recording division, which their company history claims was the first in Australia to press records in the new vinyl microgroove format. The new division soon included the W&G label and studio, which arguably had its biggest success with the earlier Australian releases of Melbourne band, later based in London, the Seekers. In 1960 Melbourne consumer electronics company Astor Electronics created its own record division, Astor Records, which established the Astor label and also became a leading distributor. Festival grabbed an early lead in rock ’n’ roll by releasing Haley’s “Rock Around the Clock” in Australia in 1956 after it had been turned down by EMI and Decca. It became the biggest-selling hit released in the country up to that time, and its success set Festival on its way to becoming the dominant Australian local record company for the next fifteen years. During this period Australia experienced an increase in migration, as hundreds of thousands fled post-war Europe. The majority of migrants were from the UK, many of whom were “Ten Pound Poms” who took advantage of the Australian government’s A£ 10 assisted-passage fare. Also, for the first time since the 1850s Gold Rush, large numbers of non-Anglo-Celts came from other European countries including Greece, Italy, Malta, Spain, Portugal, Yugoslavia, Hungary and Poland. These arrivals exerted a powerful influence on all aspects of Australian society and notably in popular music: many Australia pop and rock performers of the 1960s were migrants or their children. By mid-1957, inspired by Elvis Presley and Little Richard, Sydney-based singer Johnny O’Keefe achieved local acclaim after his breakthrough appearances on a Gordon-promoted tour by Haley. O’Keefe carved out a national profile to become a legend of Australian rock music. He hosted one of Australia’s first TV rock shows, Six O’Clock Rock (1959 to 1961), and worked as an A&R with Gordon’s label, Leedon. He was the first Australian rock ’n’ roll performer to attempt to break into the US market. In early 1960 O’Keefe’s 35 state US tour “made little impact” although his single, “It’s too Late”, charted locally in New Orleans. Iggy Pop covered O’Keefe’s March 1958 Australian hit “Real Wild Child” in 1986. Pop re-recorded it in 2008 with the Australian band Jet. For a few years, O’Keefe and other local rockers including Lonnie Lee & the Leemen, Dig Richards & the R’Jays, Col Joye & the Joy Boys, Alan Dale & the Houserockers, Ray Hoff & the Off Beats, Digger Revell and the Denvermen and New Zealand’s Johnny Devlin & the Devils whipped up excitement on a par with their US inspirations. In 1959, Lee Gordon would commission Lee Robinson to produce the first ever feature-length film of a Rock’n’ Roll concert held at Sydney Stadium, entitled Rock’n’Roll. It is likely the only one of its kind in existence, and features a number of the aforementioned Australian artists. In January 1960 Festival was purchased by rising media magnate Rupert Murdoch, and in April ARC was taken over by US-owned CBS, which closed the Coronet label and replaced the Australian CBS label. The success of the “first wave” rock ’n’ roll acts was brief: by the early 1960s the first boom had begun to fade. Between O’Keefe’s last major hit in 1961 and Billy Thorpe’s first hit in 1964, the local rock music scene had become blander and more conservative. The charts were dominated by clean-cut acts, many were regular guests on TV pop show Bandstand (1958 to 1972) and toured as members of the “Bandstand family”, most were signed to Festival. Bandstand explicitly “appealed to anyone from eight to eighty”. An alternative to mainstream pop acts were instrumental surf groups, for instance the Atlantics and the Denvermen in Sydney, and Melbourne’s the Thunderbirds. Many of the players in these dance bands had come from the jazz scene, and were also influenced by R&B and jump music of performers like Louis Jordan. Others were inspired by US surf guitarists Dick Dale and Duane Eddy, or UK’s the Shadows and US band the Ventures. The influence of the Shadows and their lead guitarist Hank Marvin on Australasian pop and rock music of the 1960s and 1970s is underrated. Australian instrumental bands played at dance venues in capital cities and regional towns. Like Australian jazz groups, these rock ’n’ roll musicians became accomplished players. Dance patrons moved as couples to traditional rhythms, and bands played a wide variety of musical styles. One of the popular dance crazes of the era was “The Stomp”. According to Digger Revell of the Denvermen “it was like what the Red Indians do when they’re dancing around the teepee. I don’t know where it came from but everyone was doing it at the time”.

Rock music in New Zealand

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1950s#

Rock music began in New Zealand in 1955 when Wellington-based country singer Johnny Cooper (popularly known as the “Maori cowboy”) recorded a cover version of American Bill Haley’s hit song “Rock Around the Clock” for HMV, the first rock and roll record recorded outside the United States. In 1956, Cooper wrote and recorded an original song called “Pie Cart Rock and Roll”. The song referred to a pie cart that he visited while managing talent shows in Whanganui. The song is believed to be New Zealand’s first indigenous rock and roll recording, although “Resuscitation rock”, written by Wellington teenager Sandy Tansley in March 1957, may have been released a few weeks earlier than Cooper’s song. Singer Johnny Devlin was touted as New Zealand’s Elvis Presley and his cover of “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” remains one of New Zealand’s biggest-selling singles, having sold 100,000 copies in 1959–60. In 1959, Mabel Howard, Minister of Social Welfare, went to see Johnny Devlin perform at the Christchurch Town Hall, declaring at half-time, “There’s nothing much wrong with rock and roll”. New Zealand’s studios lagged behind their counterparts in the Northern Hemisphere and 1950s recording stars The Tumbleweeds recorded six of their hit albums in the living room of one of their band members.

Siren kings

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

The origins of the siren scene are the early 2000s in South Auckland, New Zealand, primarily among Pasifika youth. The scene grew from car owners adding stolen car battery-powered speaker systems to cars (known as “stacking”), and in 2010 battles between different siren crews began in public areas. Popular locations for battles include carparks and reserves around Henderson, Avondale, the Onehunga shoreline and Māngere. Police reports to media also associated siren battles as being associated with gangs. In 2019, the Auckland Council created barriers to close off an Auckland public reserve at night time, however this was ineffective at stopping siren battles from taking place. In 2021, a half-hour documentary on siren kings was released by TVNZ, entitled Young and a Siren King.

Urban Pasifika

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

History#

Māori music, and Māori cultural in general, went through a renaissance in the early 1980s, both in terms of revival of traditional styles and political self identity. Many Māori came to identify with the politics and rhythms of the reggae music of the Caribbean, leading to the development of a distinctly New Zealand reggae style, led by groups such as Herbs and Dread Beat & Blood. In 1983, Māori singer Dalvanius Prime recorded a song, “Poi E”, with kapa haka group Pātea Māori Club combining breakdancing rhythms with traditional Māori music, which became a surprise hit - the biggest hit in Te Reo Māori for 25 years. In the late 1980s, Upper Hutt Posse became the first New Zealand band to record a bilingual rap song, “E Tu”, which combined western pop-rock styles with more obvious Māori influences. A track from the album, “In the Neighbourhood” by Sisters Underground became the first top ten single in the style, gaining it a wide audience in both the New Zealand Pacific and Pākehā communities. Other breakout acts to appear on the album included OMC and Semi MC’s.

Wangga

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

External links#

Samples at Manikay.Com
Wangga dancers from Eastern Kimberly Group, at Australia Council for the Arts website.

Oceania on Music Theory Print

Australian country music

Australian country stars#

Australian hardcore

Early history (late 1970s–early 1980s)#

Australian indie rock

Beginnings#

Australian reggae

History#

Australian ska

Beginnings#

Australian thrash metal

1980s#

Bush ballad

Characteristics#

Dolewave

Influences and style#

Drill music

Lyrics#

Dunedin sound

Characteristics#

Fakanau

Form#

Fakaseasea

Tuvaluan dance music#

Fatele

The traditional fatele#

Grunge

Etymology#

Indigenous music of Australia

Didgeridoo#

Indigenous rock

Australia#

Kapa haka

Performance#

Little Band scene

History#

Māori music

Waiata#

Music of Canberra

Popular music#

Venues#

Music of Samoa

Instruments#

New Zealand gamelan

History#

New Zealand reggae

History#

Nu metalcore

Characteristics#

Pub rock (Australia)

Background#

Punk rock in Australia

1973–1976#

Rock music in Australia

1950s to early 1960s: “First wave” of Australian rock#

Rock music in New Zealand

1950s#

Siren kings

History#

Urban Pasifika

History#

Wangga

See also#

External links#