Filmmaker David Bettencourt and musician Andrew Murphy have produced a CD presenting field recordings made on the islands of Malaita and Guadalcanal in 2017. The CD covers a range of different musical styles representative of the music traditions of the Solomon Islands where the musicians are predominately Melanesian, though it does include an example of Polynesian music, the Avaiki band Kaumaakonga, from the remote islands of Mungiki and Mungava. Many of the recordings come from Malaita and are representative of Melanesian oral cultures that use music and dance practices to pass on knowledge, expressing deep emotional and spiritual connection to the environment and to the past. These include the sea chants of Natty Sala, songs from the Uka’ai tribe and the Laulasi Dancers. Traditionally, the musicians of Melanesia use natural materials like bamboo to construct instruments such as the panpipes featured by Narasirato and the Makai Sirihana Band. The music on the CD from Guadacanal, the island of the capital Honiara, focuses on gospel music, recorded in churches of the region, and contemporary bands that include guitar, such as the Silianifuto and Kai Kai String Bands. Both of these forms of music demonstrate how Melanesian people have integrated western musical styles whilst retaining distinctively Melanesian elements, The CD is accompanied by a wealth of online resources, including a video trip report and podcast. The audio quality is excellent. There is clarity for the variety of vocalists and the range of instrumentation, particularly noticeable in the way that the mix nicely offsets the dominating percussive sounds.

The CD opens by introducing the producers and their organisation, A Tree With Roots, asking listeners to consider donating to this non-profit based in the United States focused on the preservation of song. Whilst important information, this could have been placed at the end of the CD so that you do not hear it every time you listen. The musical offerings open with The Creed (We Believe) by the Melanesian Brotherhood, a religious community of men in western Guadalcanal that promotes peace in the Solomon Islands, using gospel song to heal and pray. It moves onto the lively and catchy song Kana by the Makai Sirihana Band, an example of contemporary music that combines rhythmic guitar with traditional bamboo instruments and singing, as well as ensembles, the repertoire covers vocal music such as the sea chants performed by soloist Malaita man Natty Sala and the delicate Uka’ai Tribal Music sung by Rachel Gesuna and Koramo Afunawka. This is one of the only songs featuring women and a mesmerising recording that leaves you wanting more. The only fault with the CD is the lack of language transcriptions or translations. This is partly remedied by the accompanying online videos and podcast discussed in the next paragraphs. However, it would have been helpful to have some kind of liner notes containing linguistic information, particularly for listeners without access to the internet.

Accessing the video trip report through the websiteFootnote ¹ provides insights into the socio-cultural background of the music. It includes footage of the Solomon Islands and interviews with musicians and community leaders. The film sets the scene showing the producers travelling to and arriving at the village of Oterama, walking through the river with their recording equipment. The footage is beautifully shot and we are transported into the lush surroundings of the Are’Are Lagoon in South Malaita. Here they interview Elder Emmanuel, Chief Vincent and Elder Donation who express their hope that the visit by the team will be a blessing and explain the origins of their musical traditions and instruments. The film catches the energy of live performances and in the case of the Laulasi Dancers, it includes explanations of the dances by Natty. The timeline of the film is linked to the audio recordings so it easy to associate the film segments with the songs, increasing our understanding of the recordings. Seeing the Narasirato Panpipe Band in action demonstrates the use of bamboo to make a range of wind and percussive instruments with close up shots showing how the musicians achieve the sounds. Likewise, the demonstration of the Sukwadi, a type of bamboo flute, gives a new perspective on the audio recording of Morris Takainui.

The accompanying podcast, “Solomon Islands Trip Report,”Footnote ² allows the listener to go deeper into the music, with background information, interviews, full versions of some of the songs and other unreleased material not heard on the CD. For example, the segment on contemporary music, starting at 34:14, begins with a recording of the radio show “Swinging with the Strings” on SIBC. Andrew Murphy, the narrator, explains that hearing this show led the producers to the radio station where they recorded the Malaita folk singer Luciano. This recording is not on the CD, but we are introduced to the female vocalist Anna Ramoni who does feature on the CD with the Kai Kai String Band. Andrew Murphy comments that the musical style featured in the radio show, performed by string bands, provides a connection between the many different language groups across the Solomon Islands. Our one misgiving about the podcast is that the format of introductions is confusing at times leaving the listener wondering if the spoken information is related to the upcoming song or the music played before.

Overall, this is an engaging and entertaining selection of recordings that demonstrate an excitement and pride in Melanesian musical traditions and identity. It is a solid introduction to the music of the Solomon Islands and a valuable contribution to the preservation of song and musical traditions.