Tuesday 22/12/2009 - Vanuatu Cultural Centre Museum

This morning we took a stroll into town to find somewhere to convert some Aussie dollars into Vatu, take a look at a few shops and find some beads for my braids. Whilst walking down into 'China town' I noticed a haberdashery shop, and figured I'd try my luck for beads there and struck success. Across the road we noticed a shop that had a guitar in the window. Hubby and I took a look at it, it was cheap and it was not well made, but it was a guitar, so we bought it. We were leaving 'China town', starting to make our way back to the resort when we noticed a guy walking towards us carrying a guitar, we stopped to chat, his name was Sam, Sammy Ray Jones, an Australian Christian missionary and guitarist. Sam and hubby jammed, periodically swapping guitars and exchanging musical ideas and influences. I looked up from the sketch I had started and noticed that a crowd was forming. Periodically, some people walking by would hear the music and stop-by to have a listen. A bus pulled up a couple of shops up the one way street we were on to let some people out, having heard the music and delivering his passengers he reversed up the street to stop and listen. Music cuts through all barriers, language, social, political, religious, socio-economic ... gotta love music for that.
We walked to the Vanuatu Cultural Centre Museum where we saw some great artifacts including, but not limited to: Tam Tam, Slit Gongs,


Ceremonial and war masks and garments.


We also saw an ancient Lapita pot from Teouma in Efate, excavated in 2006.

It was at the Cultural Center Museum that we discovered Moses demonstrating some sand drawing. Moses is somewhat of a local celebrity in Vila. Moses is from the island of Malakula in Vanuatu but currently resides in Vila, Moses acts as MC in many music festivals such as Fest' Napuan and other celebrations and gatherings in Vila, he teaches sand drawing to anyone that wants to learn (including making appearances at schools) and he also knows how to play various indigenous instruments.

You can watch footage of Moses performing the Vanuatu National Anthem here on Youtube.


This is Moses demonstrating a sand drawing of a yam flower/plant. In this photo he is drawing a butterfly. You can see the video of Moses making this sand drawing on Youtube please watch, rate and comment on it.
Sand drawing is the original written language of certain Islands in Vanuatu, it encodes cultural information such as weaving techniques, dance steps, food gathering information and much more. The true sand drawings often have an associated myth or story that goes with them. The best sand drawings are completed in one single line, the finger not lifting from the sand until the drawing is complete.
Moses offered to give us a little tour of the local area and we gladly accepted, we walked and talked about music (Kastom songs), life, sand drawing, the nakamal, the cultural centre, tattooing and other such interesting topics as we walked. We told Moses how we had previously taken a walk down to the lagoon, he suggested that he take us to a better vantage point for views of the lagoon, we accepted and walked to 'Upper View', stopping in at the Kava bar with the best views.
After a shell of Kava we walked back to the resort, once there hubby and Moses played some more music much to the delight of at least one of the locals, a bush rat, that stopped by on his nightly scurryings.



I've included the lyrics to a song that Moses sung for us, we call this song, Moses' song:

"So many things in life,
are h-hard to change your mind.
The way you walk,
The way you talk,
attracted from the start.
I walkin down the museum,
see the party callin you.
I get up in the morning,
tell your brother can we be.

I like what I see,
gotta keep this love between us.
I- I like what I feel,
no matter how long you takes.
(x 2)

I like the smiling clothes you wear.
I like the smiling teeth from your face.
And if you smile me on the phone,
then you can call me your big brother I-I-I

I like what I see,
gotta keep this love between I-I
I like what I feel,
no matter you feel it in your heart,
please my brother.

I like what I see,
gotta keep this love between us.
I- I like what I feel,
no matter how long you takes.

This dedication, I dedicate to you family back home.

It is real natural (x 3)
Nature
It is real natural (x 3)
Nature

I like what I see,
gotta keep this love between us.
I like what I feel,
no matter how long you takes,
one shell of kava.

I like what I feel,
gotta keep this love between us.
I like what I feel,
no matter how long you feeling.

Jah bless you
Ras - ta - far - i
Blessing"

At some stage I will upload this song to youtube and post a link here.

I'm not sure if it was the Kava or the long day, but I sure slept like a baby that night.