Pese Lotu Samoa: The Modernisation of Samoan Church Music

Abstract

<p>Aware of the impact that Samoan culture has traditionally had on worship services and the influence it has on church music, the research study aimed at proving whether the Samoan culture would have a similar influence on modern church music or would be capable to stop or control the modern changes being experienced in church music. Furthermore, the study sought to examine whether there exists church music in the 21st Century, which qualifies as Samoan due to its structures and features.<i> With the traditional way of singing church music fading as the modernized music prevail, this has provided the new generation of choir musicians with the freedom of making decisions that can make church music more relevant to worship services and extendable to even non-church activities, government and village functions </i>. </p> <p>The study began by undertaking a review of the existing to be able to identify the impact that the church music had in Samoa and the way the Samoan culture has influenced the church music. No existing literature was found to indicate that missionaries allow Samoan traditional music in church. However, testimonies provided by some study participants suggested that Samoan culture has traditionally been avoided in church. However, the research study identified changes in the manner church music are composed in the present times. Samoan songs and dances were found to have been integrated into worship and this has played a role in preserving the Samoan culture and identity, while identifying the elements of the Samoan culture can be relied upon in advancing gospel. With the beginning of the integration of Samoan culture in church attributable to Cardinal Pio Taofinu’u, the research study further observes that the Samoan culture greatly influences customs and daily lives of Samoans and controls villages, families and churches.</p> <p>The study finds that the Samoan culture is acknowledged to have traditionally influenced the development of church music in Samoa. The effects extend from the past, into the present and are likely to extend to future. The study also acknowledges the contribution of missionaries in introducing church music in the 1800s. However, the hymns were designed after English hymn tunes. Due to their distinct nature, the hymns were categorized as ‘sacred’ as they were associated with worshipping. The research study further observes this distinction cause the Samoan songs to be categorized as ‘secular’ for being isolated from the church. </p> <p>Even though the Samoan culture has become influential in church songs, the study identified that the entry of Samoan culture into the church did not hinder the Samoan musicians from mixing the elements of traditional song and dances with the modern music genres to lead into a modern-secularized Samoan church music. This has meant that the Samoan culture has no significant influence on the arrangement and composition of the church music. Such is because the adoption of modern genres and digital instruments continues to significantly influence the church musicians. This has consequently meant that Samoan composers have the freedom of writing in any style that they desire without raising discomfort in the church. Any music containing the scriptural words in singing meets the threshold of being accepted. It becomes even more inspiring when the modern instruments are included in composing the song. The study identified the modernization of church music to involve mixing the traditionally sacred and secular elements. </p>