‘Imene tuki are a heavenly hybrid, songs that infuse Church hymns with cascading multi-part harmonies and elements of pre-colonization chants that capture the musical spirit of the Cook Islands. We introduce kids in our online classes we do so with enthusiasm, humor and, if we can manage, confident Polynesian flair.
Tag Archives | Imene Tuki
Many Kinds of ‘Imene
Cook Islanders express their culture exuberantly, especially when they sing ‘imene, a genre of music that not only covers contemporary songs, like Cook islands string bands, but also traditional music, like ‘imene reo metua — songs that Protestant missionaries brought to the islands in the 1800s — and Ute, celebratory songs that are essential to Cook Islanders’ social gatherings. Tomorrow we’ll meet one more kind of ‘imene: “‘Imene tuki!”
The Coolest Choirs are in the Cook Islands
We start our lesson this week in the Pacific Islands with a fascinating fusion of international music and indigenous song. ‘Imene tuki is a kind of music that is unique to the Cook Islands in Polynesia, but bears some resemblance to church music throughout the region, which features cascading multi-part harmonies and elements of pre-colonization chants, such as guttural grunts to emphasize particular parts of the songs.
