Music From Tonga - The Friendly Islands

Himene tarava is a traditional a cappella choral form from Tahiti and the Society Islands in French Polynesia. The term “himene” derives from the English word “hymn,” introduced by Protestant missionaries in the 19th century, but tarava denotes a specifically Polynesian, highly ornamental and powerfully resonant polyphonic style. Performed by village and church choirs, himene tarava features dense, multi-part harmonies that swell and recede in dramatic waves. Male and female sections interlock through antiphony, staggered entries, sustained pedal tones, and cascading inner parts. The effect is at once devotional and communal: a sonic tapestry of glissandi, tight voice-leading, vocables, and Tahitian-language poetry projected with remarkable volume and intensity.