Fakanau

A fakanau (meaning "spells")[1] is a traditional Tuvaluan male dance, accompanied by singing and rhythmic clapping.

Fakanau singing and dancing are typical of Niutao and Nukufetau islands of Tuvalu, formerly known as the Ellice Islands, a group of nine low-lying coral islands in the central Pacific that are inhabited by Polynesian people. Fakanau is described as having "a tune that is between speech and singing [which] was performed while dancers are standing on their feet."[2] Examples include Te onge ne tupu ia Kiollli, Neutuakina te vao i napanapa,[3] and Ko na fakanau nei e kamata ifo mai gauta oi fakaholo atu ai ki gatai kafai te vaka e hoho ifo ki gatai.[4] Other dances within the genre include the mako, the fakaseasea, the fatele, the lue, the sea, and the oga.

  1. ^ Senft, Gunter; Basso, Ellen B. (15 December 2009). Ritual Communication. Berg. p. 208. ISBN 978-1-84788-295-0. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  2. ^ Faaniu, Simati; Laracy, Hugh (1983). Tuvalu: A History. pp. 40–41. Retrieved 7 September 2012.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ethnomusicology1963 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ An unnamed group of Tokelauan writers (1990). Matagi Tokelau. [email protected]. pp. 178–. ISBN 978-982-02-0059-3. Retrieved 9 September 2012.