Traditional music and dance
Among the most remarkable traditions of New Caledonia are a multitude of songs. Taperas are religious songs inherited from the missionaries, a cappella, often in mixed polyphonic choir and sometimes accompanied by percussions. Although they were originally intended to spread a Christian message in the local languages, their practice now transcends the framework of worship to become an integral part of Kanak musical traditions.
Another important tradition, theae-ae , is a vigorous chant performed by two men alternately, but with long overlapping parts. It is a real physical performance that can last up to an entire night. Accompanied by percussionists who beat bamboo on the ground, the singers have a certain freedom in their interpretation and can indulge in many improvisations.
It is impossible to discuss Caledonian polyphonic songs without mentioning theAnethem, one of the most remarkable of the archipelago. Also introduced by the English missionaries, this mixed song, performed in four voices, deals with themes related to faith and invites in particular to religious commitment or repentance.
On the dance side, the great Caledonian tradition is called the pilou. Behind this soft and mellow name are hidden both the dance and the ceremony during which it takes place. Performed during important or minor celebrations, it invites men and women to dance in a spiral - but separated. They may join in a final part, with heavier rhythms, marked by stomping and where sometimes fights may be simulated.
Local festivals are privileged times and places to embrace Caledonian culture. For example, the Boulouparis festival, a celebration of deer and shrimp where there is a contest for the biggest deer sausage eater or a competition between imitators of deer bellowing, is riddled with traditional songs and dances. There is also a lot of singing and dancing at the Ponerihouen festival , held in honor of the yam and the water taro, and at the waleï festival, the "sweet yam" at Héo on the island of Ouvéa.
Popular music
Although classified as a current music, do not look for a musical expression more emblematic of New Caledonia than kaneka : it does not exist. The term comes from the contraction of "Kadence born of Kanak" and was born in 1984, in a context of latent claims, preliminary to the civil war to come. At that time, Jean-Marie Tjibaou (the illustrious nationalist and independence figure), then a member of the New Caledonian government, called on Kanak artists to compose a hymn as part of the preparations for the4th Pacific Arts Festival. The idea was to distinguish themselves from rock, reggae and soul music, which were very popular in New Caledonia at the time, while at the same time promoting Kanak identity and the various languages.
Warawi Wayenece, musician and musicologist, was chosen to compose this anthem. Although the Pacific Arts Festival was finally cancelled (due to the war), Warawi Wayenece launched the reflection on the composition of this hymn, accompanied by some musicians, including the famous group Yata. The result is the recording of an album called Boenando which, by mixing traditional rhythms with modern instruments (synthesizers, electric guitars, etc.) and aesthetics from elsewhere (especially reggae), draws the pattern of the modern Kanak music to come. Kaneka comes to life.
From the 1990s, a small industry began to form and to tour, carried by the first big names: Gilbert Tein, Moïse Wadra, Mexem or Gurejele. It was also at this time that Alain Lecante's mythical Mangrove studio recorded the first titles that sold several thousand copies. Kaneka is taking off.
Since then, groups and artists have multiplied, and the genre has not lost its popularity. Thus, Edou is today one of the ambassadors of kaneka; Gayulaz is one of the most popular groups in the country with its kaneka mixed with Melanesian folk; Celenod shines with his very traditional kaneka and more recently, Boagan has taken his very soulful kaneka on the road, notably at the Francofolies, Gulaan is known in France because he was on The Voice and Hyarison has become a key figure in the new generation of kaneka with his optimistic and committed messages
Current music
As in metropolitan France, in the early 1980s, the broadcasting of the H.I.P. H.O.P. program had the effect of a bomb on New Caledonian youth and encouraged the emergence of a hip-hop scene. The latter was initially manifested by breakdancing and graffiti in the neighborhoods of Nouméa before the first rappers made a name for themselves. However, it was not until the early 2000s that local rappers began to release albums, such as Section Otoktone, which in 2003 released the first Caledonian rap album, full of demands and disillusionment.
Since then, many artists have led their own way, such as Ybal Khan, who has established himself as the tutelary figure of the whole scene, Chavi, the local paragon of festive rap, Pacifika Hood or Sanak, who are more austere and trap, or more recently the duo Nasty & ReZa and their conscious rap. Let's not forget to mention Paul Wamo, the Caledonian incarnation of slam.
Given the attraction for the genre in the archipelago, there is no shortage of opportunities to see it on stage. There is even a dedicated event, the Hip Hop Fortnight, which takes place in several communes of the Southern Province and whose objective is to federate a maximum around the discipline. The program is very focused on dance but the event is also an opportunity to see local rappers perform on stage. Otherwise, the Festnapuan offers each year a wide range of genres including rock, reggae and hip-hop during three days of concerts.
