Samoans should be grateful and thankful that we have benefited from the skills and the talents of two of Samoas most influential musical icons.
This was the view of historian and music curator Dr Richard Moyle who was one of the speakers at the 4th annual Ethnomusicology Forum at the American Samoa Community College.
Dr. Moyle talked about the influence and legacy of Pulefa’asisina Palauni Tuiasosopo and Ueta Solomona, on recorded Samoan music.
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According to Dr Moyle, the earliest ‘palagi’ descriptions of Samoa and singing and dancing by Samoans are largely inconsistent in the past 100 years.
The earliest known recordings were not made in Samoa but in Chicago in 1893 just 16 years after Thomas Edison invented the phonograph.
Apparently a group was organized by businessman Harry Moors (Misimoa) to travel and be part of the World Columbian Exhibition but Malietoa prevented them taking any Samoans so they took half castes and other Pacific Islanders.
Dr Moyle spoke about the style that was predominantly Samoan solo singing known as responsorial singing.
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He pointed out that the same style was still very much evident in the early 1960s when he first came to Samoa.
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Dr. Moyle said the composers of these early Samoan songs were innovators.
The Ethnomusicology Forum at the American Samoa Community College was held in conjunction with the 4th Annual Samoana Jazz and Arts festival which continues in Apia this weekend.
