Music of New Caledonia.html



New Caledonia (Kanaky) boasts a folk music heritage in the Melanesian tradition. The Pacific Tempo is an important music festival, held every three years in Noumea; the biennial Équinoxe is also an important celebration. ¹

Modern popular performers include OK! Ryos ², Edou and Gurejele, who are at the forefront of the popular Kaneka movement, which began in the mid-1980s. Kaneka fuses traditional styles with pop and world music. The most well-known modern record label on New Caledonia is Alain Lecante's Mangrove Studios, which distributes much of the Kaneka music. ³

Kanak music

The native New Caledonian Kanaks are known for many kinds of folk dances, most famous including the pilou, which was banned in 1951. Traditional instruments include bamboo flutes and conch shells. ⁴

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