Tahiti Nui is a Tahitian song that has been recorded by a multitude of artists. It is possibly one of the most popular Pacific Island songs.
The song can be heard on radio and in parties from Guam, to Port Moresby, to Rarotonga. [1] Toti's Tahitians covered the song and it was released on the Little Brown Gal album which was released on Viking VP 24. [2] [3] It has been described by Bengt Danielsson, author of From Raft to Raft: An Incredible Voyage from Tahiti to Chile and Back as a melancholy Tahitian song in praise of the island. [4] Possibly the earliest recorded version of the song was by Eddie Lund and his orchestra featuring female lead singer Irma Emma Samila Spitz, professionally known then as Mila. [5] The song credited to Mila avec L'Orchestre Eddie Lund was the B side on a 78 RPM single with the A side "Ragout pommes de terre" by Teaitu. It was released on Tahiti label cat # 139. [6] It was released as a 45 RPM single on Viking in 1958, credited to Mila With Eddie Lund And His Tahitians. [7]
A song of the same name was recorded by Sol K. Bright And His Holly-Waiians. This is a completely different composition. [8]
Artist | Title | Release info | Year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Teaitu, Mila avec L'Orchestre Eddie Lund | "Ragout pommes de terre" / "Tahiti Nui" | Tahiti 139 | Side A = Teaitu, Side B = Mila avec L'Orchestre Eddie Lund [9] | |
Artist | Album title | Release info | Year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Toti's Tahitians | Little Brown Gal | Viking VP 24 | Also released on 49th State Hawaii Record Co. LP-3426 [10] | |
Manuia & Maeva | Otuitui • Tahiti | Reo Tahiti Records SRT-520 | 1966 | [11] |
Artist | Album title | Release info | Year | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Amy Hanaiali'i | Generation Hawaii | Hanaiali'i Records 8556 | 2006 | [12] |
Tahiti is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Australia. Divided into two parts, Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Iti, the island was formed from volcanic activity; it is high and mountainous with surrounding coral reefs. Its population was 189,517 in 2017, making it by far the most populous island in French Polynesia and accounting for 68.7% of its total population; the 2022 Census resulted in a population of 191,779.
The Kon-Tiki expedition was a 1947 journey by raft across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian islands, led by Norwegian explorer and writer Thor Heyerdahl. The raft was named Kon-Tiki after the Inca god Viracocha, for whom "Kon-Tiki" was said to be an old name. Heyerdal’s book on the expedition was entitled The Kon-Tiki Expedition: By Raft Across the South Seas. A 1950 documentary film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. A 2012 dramatized feature film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Pape'etē is the capital city of French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of the French Republic in the Pacific Ocean. The commune of Papeʻetē is located on the island of Tahiti, in the administrative subdivision of the Windward Islands, of which Papeʻetē is the administrative capital. The French High Commissioner also resides in Papeʻetē.
The history of the Pitcairn Islands begins with the colonization of the islands by Polynesians in the 11th century. Polynesian people established a culture that flourished for four centuries and then vanished. They lived on Pitcairn and Henderson Islands, and on Mangareva Island 540 kilometres (340 mi) to the northwest, for about 400 years.
Fletcher Christian was an English sailor who led the mutiny on the Bounty in 1789, during which he seized command of the Royal Navy vessel HMS Bounty from Lieutenant William Bligh.
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The Society Islands are an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean that includes the major islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Raiatea, Bora Bora and Huahine. Politically, they are part of French Polynesia, an overseas country of the French Republic. Geographically, they form part of Polynesia.
Polynesian navigation or Polynesian wayfinding was used for thousands of years to enable long voyages across thousands of kilometers of the open Pacific Ocean. Polynesians made contact with nearly every island within the vast Polynesian Triangle, using outrigger canoes or double-hulled canoes. The double-hulled canoes were two large hulls, equal in length, and lashed side by side. The space between the paralleled canoes allowed for storage of food, hunting materials, and nets when embarking on long voyages. Polynesian navigators used wayfinding techniques such as the navigation by the stars, and observations of birds, ocean swells, and wind patterns, and relied on a large body of knowledge from oral tradition.
Viking Records was an independent record label that featured many New Zealand and Polynesian recording artists.
Eddie Lund was a pianist and bandleader.
The Order of Tahiti Nui was established on 5 June 1996 by the Assembly of French Polynesia to reward distinguished merit and achievements in the service to French Polynesia.
Teriitaria II or Teri'itari'a II, later known as Pōmare Vahine and Ari'ipaea Vahine, baptized Taaroamaiturai, became Queen of Tahiti when she married King Pōmare II and later, she ruled as Queen of Huahine and Maiao in the Society Islands.
Marie Mariterangi, Marie Mariteragi, Marie Terangi or Marie was a singer, songwriter of Polynesian pop music, guitarist and ukulele player. She was born on May 3, 1926 in Hikueru in French Polynesia and died on April 27, 1971 in Papeete in French Polynesia.
Tapoa II (1806–1860) was the king of the Tahitian island of Bora Bora from 1831 to 1860. He was also a Royal consort of Tahiti as husband of Pōmare IV, Queen regnant of Tahiti.
Chulu Chululu sometimes referred to as Chululu is a Fijian song that has been covered by a multitude of artists ranging from Peter Posa to Bill Sevesi & His Islanders. An English version of this song was a hit for Bill and Boyd.
Pepe and the Rarotongans were a popular Cook Island music group fronted by a female singer, Pepe. They were active in the 1950s and 1960s. As recording artists, they had albums released on the Viking and Salem labels.
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