Preserving Pele Custom Songs and Dances
BY AGNES MENANOPO
Pele dancers are a dancing group from the Reef Islands in Temotu province, Eastern parts of the Solomon Islands.
This group participated in the recent Panpipe Festival in Honiara by singing language songs and showcasing their traditional dances.
Speaking to Sunday Isles Newspaper is the leader of the dancing group, Francis Saka who is originated from Reef Islands and a professional Pele dancer and singer.
He said that his group was formed in 2008 and the boys who formed the group are town based boys and they live in Tuvaruhu, while some of them reside in White River.
He added that the group separated on the way due to different movements, but they are happy they found their ways back together and participate in such events as the Panpipe festival.
“We are really happy to participate in events like this because are proud of our culture and we want to share it with other people from other provinces and countries.
“This festival is called Panpipe festival and is meant particularly for panpipe players to participate, but to us, it’s a cultural event in general.
“This is when all provinces come out together to showcase and entertain people with traditional songs and dances,” Mr. Saka said.
He added that such events also cause them to know and make friends with other dancers from other provinces as well.
Lionel Giano who is also a Pele dancer also expresses his appreciation of such cultural events and said that he is proud of his group.
“I really like and enjoy this kind of coming out together because it causes us to make new friendships with other fellow citizens, especially on the side of culture and traditions.
“This is not only for panpipe blowers and dancers to participate in but for all cultural songs and dances to be showcased,” Giano said.
Mr. Saka also touched on this year’s Panpipe Festival theme which is ‘Promoting and Reviving the Unique Sounds of History’ and said that it is very important that we preserve our history songs and dances as it also a way of preserving our culture and traditions.
“For us, Pele dancers, we just formed this group in 2008 and for us to know better about our songs and dances, we needed to consult our elder people back in our home villages to tell us more about this culture and their meanings.
“By this, we also learn about the differences of things our ancestors did back in their days compared to this generation.
“I can see from this event that there are many young people and children engaged in cultural dances which is a good sign of teaching this generation about these things and helping them through understanding the importance of these cultures and traditions,” Mr. Saka said.
He said this is very important that they are doing their best to learn these and revive them to this generation so that they can continue with it to other next generations to come.
Lionel Giano added that the theme is encouraging Solomon Islanders to bring forward the sounds from the past.
“These traditional songs were like music to our ancestors which they listen to as their melodious songs and their dances have some meaningful stories on how they do things back in their days, such as; paddling, fishing, collecting and making food, fighting and defending themselves from their enemies.
“We are so thankful that the old people back in the village thought us about all these and we hope we do our best to pass it on.
Like, some of the songs we sing and dance to these days, we never knew them before but now we know them and hopefully, we can pass them on to the next generation,” Giano stated.
