George Kingsley Roth: Fijian Music, Songs and Dances

The World Oral Literature Project is pleased to host the audio recordings made by George Kingsley Roth. Details of the full collection can be browsed on DSpace@Cambridge by clicking here.

The material in this collection includes Fijian music, songs and dances, recorded by George Kingsley Roth in Fiji in the 1950s. Most of the material is original and was recorded in the field or at the studio of the Fiji Broadcasting Commission Suva. Some tracks are copies of recordings made by the Fiji Broadcasting Commission or the BBC.

George Kingsley Roth (1903-60) served in the colonial administration in Fiji from 1928 until his retirement in 1957 as Secretary of State for Fijian Affairs. He was Honorary Keeper of the Fijian Collections at the University of Cambridge Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology (MAA) between 1958 - 1960. George and his wife Jane Roth also donated a collection of nearly 300 artefacts to MAA.

Collection Details:

Collection: Fijian Music, Songs and Dances
Collector: George Kingsley Roth
Date(s): 1953-1957
Language(s): Fijian; English

1. Doc.365, 'Nine gong beats'
Nine gong beats collected by [?]Ulaosi vosabalavu of Kabara Island in the Lau Group, recorded in Suva in May 1957 + two additional beats.
1) Na lali ni kaci. Used to call the strong men together to defend the village when the enemy has been sighted, order the women, the children and the old men to get away into the bush or caves and summon friendly villages nearby to come to their help. Large gong only. [0.50 - 1.43]
2) [?] Na lali ni saka mote dua koro. Used when a village has been burnt. Both gongs used. [1.44 - 2.55]
3) Na lali ni bokola. Used when a body is brought to be eaten. Both gongs used. [2.56 - 3.37]
4) Na lali ni vuki. Invitation to other villages to become Christian, otherwise they will be attacked. Large gong only. [3.38 - 4.19]
5) Na lali ni wate. Mark the end of fighting and the return of peace. Nowadays [in the 1950s] used to summon people to church. Both gongs used. [4.20 - 5.26]
6) Na lali ni soro masumasu. Used to call people together early in the morning for worship and prayers. One man beats both gongs. [5.27 - 6.07]
7) Na lali vaka turaga. Used to let chief know it is time to assemble for discussion or feasting. Both gongs used. [6.08 - 7.25]
8) Na lali ni mate. Used to announce that the corpse of a dead chief has left his house. The beating is continued until the corpse reaches the burial place. One man beats each gong or one man for both. [7.26 - 8.35]
9) Na lali ni tabu. Announced a prohibition on making noise in a village. Nowadays [in the 1950s], used for announcing the time for children to go to bed or for yaqona drinking to stop. Large gong only. [8.36 - 9.37]
10) Repetition of beat number 2 [stops at 10.50].
11) Actuality record (live reporting) of a ceremony involving the Tui Lau, made by the Fiji Broadcasting Commission, in Tubou, Lakeba Island, Lau Group in August 1955 and demonstrating Beat number 7. [10.50 - 13.43]
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2. Doc.366, 'Musical instruments and songs'
Recording of musical instruments and songs: hand clapping, stamping tubes, gongs and songs, 15 min 21 seconds.
1) Hand clapping / hand clapping with bamboo stamping tubes / Wooden dance gong / Song sang with all these accompaniments. Rakiraki, Kadavu, October 1955. Arranged recording. [0.00 - 4.38]
2) Wooden dance gong (lalinimeke) being beaten along / Being beaten with accompaniment of hand clapping / 2 songs with an orchestra of gong and handclapping. Rakiraki, Kadavu, October 1955. [4.40 - 11.00]
3) Notes of 5 stamping tubes, sounded first separately, then all together. Lutu, Naitasiri, January 1956. [11.00 - 12.54]
4) Notes of 7 stamping tubes, sounded first separately, then all together. Serua, September 1956. [12.57 - 15.21]
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3. Doc.367, 'Lali drums/gongs beating'
Recording of musical instruments: gong beating, 11 min 17 seconds.
1) Lali vaka viti. Played at Somosomo, Cakaudrove, June 1957. Arranged recording. Small + Large gong. [0.00 - 1.50]
2) Lali vaka toga. Played at Somosomo, Cakaudrove, June 1957. Arranged recording. Small + Large gong. [2.14 - 3.54]
3) Lali (wooden drum) being beaten alone. Done three times. At the end of each beating, it is beaten 7 times. Modern use to announce the time. Rakiraki, Kadavu, October 1955. Arranged recording. [4.12 - 5.49]
4) Beating of a wooden drum (lali) and his smaller fellow (duki). Rakiraki, Kadavu, October 1955. Arranged recording. [5.50 - 6.42]
5) Lali ni soqo ni vaka turaga. Serua Island, July 1957. Arranged recording. [6.45 - 7.57]
6) Lali ni bokola. Serua Island, July 1957. Arranged recording. [8.00 - 8.48]
7) [?] Lali ni vei bulu. Serua Island, July 1957. Arranged recording. [8.52 - 10.03]
8) Lali vaka toga. Serua Island, July 1957. Arranged recording. Bad quality (buzzing). [10.05 - 11.17]
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4. Doc.368, 'Yaqona chants'
Recording of yaqona chants, 15 min 22 seconds.
1) Yaqona chant of the people of Bau, confederation of Kubuna. Recorded in Suva, May 1957. Actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony). [0.00 - 5.38]
2) Yaqona chant of the people of Somosomo, Cakaudrove, June 1957. Actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony). [5.40 - 10.48]
3) Yaqona chant of the performers of the yaqona making ceremony. Rakiraki, Kadavu, October 1955. Actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony). [10.49 - 13.02]
4) Part of the chant used when the first cup of yaqona is being drunk. As soon as the cup has been drained, one of the performers calls out [?] 'biu' and all of them clap their hands crosswise. Rakiraki, Kadavu, October 1955. Actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony). [13.03 - 15.22]
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5. Doc.369, 'Yaqona chants'
Recording of yaqona chants, 14 min 01 seconds.
1) Yaqona chant of the people of Serua, it is accompanied at the beginning and at the end by a gong beat called lali ni yaqona vaka turaga, July 1957. Arranged recording. [0.00 - 5.40]
2) Yaqona chant of the people of Bau, on the occasion of the Queen's visit. Suva, December 1953. Actuality record by the Fiji Broadcasting Commission (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony). [5.40 - 14.01]
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6. Doc.370, 'Yaqona chants'
Recording of yaqona chants, 14 min 01 seconds.
1) Yaqona chant of the people of Serua, it is accompanied at the beginning and at the end by a gong beat called lali ni yaqona vaka turanga, July 1957. Arranged recording. [0.00 - 5.40]
2) Yaqona chant of the people of Bau, on the occasion of the Queen's visit. Suva, December 1953. Actuality record by the Fiji Broadcasting Commission (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony). [5.40 - 14.01]
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7. Doc.371, 'Dances and songs'
Recording of dances (meke) and songs, 15 min 31 seconds.
1) This is a lakalaka, a Tongan dance done by men and women of Sawana which is a Tongan settlement adjoining the Fijian village of lomaloma, Lau. Recorded at Tubou, on Lakeba Island, July 1955. Actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony) by the Fiji Broadcasting Commission. [0.00 - 1.47]
2) This is a tafi, a Tongan dance done by the women of the senior ?matangale, the ?vuani ?rewa of Lau. Recorded at Tubou, on Lakeba Island, July 1955. Actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony) by the Fiji Broadcasting Commission. [1.47 - 2.33]
3) This is a ma'ulu'ulu, a Samoan dance done by the Fijians of Nasagalau, a village on the island of Lakeba, Lau. Recorded at Tubou, on Lakeba Island, July 1955. Actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony) by the Fiji Broadcasting Commission. [2.33 - 5.11]
4) This a song accompanying a Tongan dance, lakalaka, done in Suva by men and women of Lau on the occasion of the Royal visit to Fiji, December 1953. Actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony) by the Fiji Broadcasting Commission. [5.11 - 11.31]
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8. Doc.372, 'Dances and songs'
Recording of dances (meke) and songs, 13 min 42 seconds. Songs and hymns composed by Fijians within the last ten years [1940s and 1950s]. Some of the songs are accompanied by guitars which are not Fijian musical instruments. Actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony) made by the Fijian Broadcasting Commission in Suva in 1955 and 1956.
1) Song 1 [0.28 - 1.12]
2) Song 2 [1.16 - 3.00]
3) Song 3 [3.01 - 5.51]
4) Song 4 [5.53 - 7.54]
5) Song 5 [8.03 - 9.30]
6) Song 6 [9.34 - 11.43]
7) Song 7 [11.45 - 13.40]
[Archive] [Listen to audio]

9. Doc.373, 'Songs'
Audio recording: songs recorded at the studios of Fiji Broadcasting Commission, 1955-1956, 14 min 08 seconds.
1) Men accompanied by guitar [0.00-2.20]
2) Men accompanied by guitar [2.20-7.17]
3) Men accompanied by guitar [7.18- 9.38]
4) Men accompanied by guitar [9.40- 10.56]
5) Men and women accompanied by guitar [10.57-14.08]
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10. Doc.374, 'Dances and songs'
Audio recording: songs recorded at the studios of Fiji Broadcasting Commission, 1955-1956, 10 min 40 seconds.
1) Song accompanying a spear dance, meke wesi, done in Suva by the people of Vaturova, Cakaudrove, on the occasion of the occasion of the Queen's visit in December 1953. The dancers were men, most of the members of the orchestra were women [0.00-5.00]
2) Legend of the turtles told by Ratu Sere Nawalowalo and calling up of the turtles by a group of girls at Namuana, Kadavu, September 1955 [5.00-10.40]
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11. Doc.375, 'Yaqona chants and songs'
Audio recording of yaqona chants and songs of the people of Rara, Naitasiri. Recorded in Vunidawa, August 1957. Arranged recording, 13 min 09 seconds.
1) Yaqona chant [0.08-6.48]
2) Two beatings of the dance gong [6.55-7.25]
3) Gesture song accompanied by the two different beating of the dance gong already recorded [7.39-8.38]
4) Song of a gesture dance [8.47- 10.58]
5) Song of a gesture dance [11.08-12.53]
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12. Doc.376, 'Yaqona chants and songs'
Audio recording of yaqona chants and songs of the people of Lutu, Matailobau, Naitasiri. Recorded in August 1957. Actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony), 14 min 31 seconds.
1) yaqona song [0.07-8.39]
2) Song of a gesture dance, accompanied by a dance gong and hand clapping [8.54-10.46]
3) Song of a gesture dance [10.55-14.10]
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13. Doc.377, 'Yaqona chants and songs'
Audio recording of yaqona chants and songs of the people of [?] Waimaro confederation, Naitasiri. Recorded in Vunidawa, August 1957. Arranged recording, 13 min 33 seconds.
1) Yaqona chant [0.10-8.15]
2) Gesture song [8.24-13.29]
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14. Doc.378, 'Yaqona chants and songs'
Audio recording: actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony) of the yaqona song of the people of Nadaravakawalu, Naitasiri, August 1957, 13 min 48 seconds.
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15. Doc.379, 'Yaqona chants and songs'
Audio recording of songs and dances, recorded in Nadaravakawalu and Matailobau, Naitasiri, August 1957, 15 min 24 seconds.
1) Actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony) of a gesture dance, drums and handclapping by the people of Nadaravakawalu, Naitasiri, August 1957 [0.00-1.06]
2) Actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony) of a gesture dance, drums and handclapping by the people of Nadaravakawalu, Naitasiri, August 1957 [1.08-2.02]
3) Actuality record (record made during the actual performance of a normal ceremony) of a gesture dance, drums and handclapping by the people of Nadaravakawalu, Naitasiri, August 1957 [2.03-4.37]
4) Yaqona chant and gesture dance accompanied by a drum and handclapping by the people of Matailobau, August 1957. Arranged recording [4.38-15.24]
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16. Doc.380, 'Yaqona chants and songs'
Audio recording of songs and dances by the people of Matailobau, Naitasiri, recorded in Vunidawa, August 1957, 15 min 14 seconds.
1) Gesture dances accompanied by a drum and handclapping by the people of Matailobau, August 1957. Arranged recording [0.00-1.58]
2) Old gesture song accompanied by a drum and handclapping by the people of Matailobau, August 1957. Arranged recording [1.59-3.20]
3) Gesture dance accompanied by a drum and handclapping by the people of Matailobau, done at the time of playing of javelins. August 1957. Arranged recording [3.21-6.12]
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17. Doc.381, 'Nose flutes and shell trumpets'
Audio recording of nose flutes and shell trumpets, 15 min 51 seconds
1) Nose flute, fangofango - Copy of BBC recording (Library number 20468) made in December 1953 in Nuku'alofa Tonga. Arranged recording [0.21-4.22]
2) Nose flute - Copy of National Geographic disc specially recorded in December 1953 in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. Arranged recording [4.22-6.06]
3) Nose flute played by Marika Tivitivi, aged 74, of Nukui, Rewa, recorded in July 1957, in Suva by the Fiji Broadcasting commission. Arranged recording [6.25-9.20]
4) Shell trumpet. Blowing of the triton shell or davui, at Rakiraki, Kadavu, October 1955. Arranged recording [9.34-9.56]
5) Shell trumpet. Blowing of the triton shell or davui. First it is sounded clearly and well, but the other efforts are rather poor. Rakiraki, Kadavu, October 1955. Arranged recording [10.17-11.06]
6) Shell trumpet. Blowing of the triton shell or davui. Somosomo, Cakaudrove, June 1957. Arranged recording [11.18-11.33]
7) Shell trumpet. Blowing of the triton shell or davui. Serua, August 1957. Arranged recording. Davui ni ika bula [11.48-12.15]; Davui ni mati [12.22-12.37]; Davui ni soqoni [12.40-12.52]; Davui ni cere [12.54-13.11]
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18. Doc.382, 'Nose flute'
Audio recording of a nose flute played by Josefa Tale of Namata, Tailevu, recorded in Suva on September 1957. Arranged recording, 9 min 49 seconds.
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19. Doc.383, 'Songs'
Audio recording of seven songs performed by women and men. 12 min 10 seconds.
1) Song accompanied by a drum [0.00-1.30]
2) Song [1.30-2.07]
3) Song [2.08-3.28]
4) Song [3.29-5.25]
5) Song [5.26-7.36]
6) Song [7.50-8.32]
7) Song [8.33-11.20]
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20. Doc.384, 'Lali drums/gongs and davui shell trumpets'
Lali drum/gong beats and davui triton-shell trumpets, recorded at Serua Island in July 1957. 12 min 42 seconds.
1) Lali ni soqo ni vaka turaga [0.00-1.19]
2) Lali ni bokola [1.20-2.10]
3) Lali ni vei bulu [2.11-3.24]
4) Lali vaka toga [3.25-4.35]
5) Davui ni ika bula [4.45-5.28]
6) Davui ni mati [5.29-5.47]
7) Davui ni soqoni [5.48-6.01]
8) Davui ni cere [6.02-6.22]
[Archive] [Listen to audio]