Information About And Five YouTube Videos Of Local String Bands In Vanuatu, Melanesia (2005-2020)

The String Band sound is based on Polynesian music. It came to Vanuatu towards the end of World War II. The musicians play string instruments (guitars, ukuleles, one-string bass) & percussion (drums or tambourine). The songs are sung by a single person or by the whole band in chorus.

In the 1960s, the songs mainly criticized the occupation by the colonial powers, in the 1970s they followed the uprising against these powers, & in 1980 they celebrated independence. Today, the compositions of the String Bands may recall a national, local or personal event. A song may deal with the development of tourism or with economic problems in rural areas; it may denounce the ubiquitous influence of Australia or the compliance of local politics; it may have been written for a wedding or in the wake of some natural disaster. But these songs also preserve the memory of an extraordinarily pretty girl, a successful hunting party, or the end of a relationship.

These songs have a “historical storage function,” allowing an event to be kept alive & passed on from generation to generation. Everyone knows these songs. They are sung in Bislama (the everyday language of Vanuatu), English, French or one of the regional languages. The songs are one of the archipelago’s cultural treasures, often passed on from village to village,& from island to island.”… **** EXCERPT #2 From https://books.google.com › books

The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Music and Culturehttps://books.google.com › books

Janet Sturman · 2019 · ‎Music
"In the 1970s, a local musical style called string band grew up. It is a blend of local, Western, and Polynesian musical styles."....

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EXCERPT #3
[Pancocojams Editor's Note: This excerpt includes several entries from the jujumas.blogspot.com.]

1) From http://jujumamas.blogspot.com/2012/11/vanuatu-string-band-music.html"I have visited Vanuatu several times now and every time I go I make sure to pick up a few CDs of Vanuatu String Band music. Dokowia, Tokosowia, Lautano II, Jipijiroa and Dausake are just to name a few. These bands are always produced by Bistaveos Productions I had noticed and so are their video clips which I love to view on YouTube. One day during our stay in Port Vila we decided to seek out Bistaveos Productions to meet the people who make the music we love so much.

Posted 1st November 2012 by Ona Filloy

** 2) From http://jujumamas.blogspot.com/2012/11/joe-bong.html"It wasn't long before Joe Bong turned up and what a great guy he turned out to be. Joe does so much for the arts in Vanuatu. In fact he is the Head of the Music Federation and the Arts Association of Vanuatu which he himself formed. He is the owner of Bistaveos Productions which produce all the music and videos from Vanuatu. But alas when we met Joe some rivals who wanted to start their own music studio had helped themselves to most of his gear! He could still manage a smile and a laugh with us."

Posted 12th November 2012 by Ona Filloy

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ADDITIONAL VIDEOS 

These videos are given in chronological order, except for video #1. Numbers are added for  referencing purposes only.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2: Vanuatu ladies string band

dan man, March 8, 2013

Song by the vanuatu ladies string band in the markets, port vila with an impromptu dance performance!

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3: String Band New Years Singalong 2016

Kelly Butwinski, Jan 10, 2016 

Church group String Band roams from family to family to sing in the New Year 2016. Eliezer Guest House, Sola, Vanua Lava, Vanuatu

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SHOWCASE VIDEO #4: Pektel String Band - Mbenenavet, Malekula, Vanuatu - 2005

adam kane, Jan. 14, 2018

This song was written and sung by the Pektel String Band at Pektel RTC in Mbenenavet, Malekula, Vanuatu in 2005 for the farewell party for Adam Kane, Peace Corps Vanuatu Volunteer (2003-05).

SHOWCASE VIDEO #5: Ruatu local stringband

Shem Than, April 9, 2020

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