Every 4 years, the Marquesan Festival for the Arts involves a vibrant celebration of the heart and culture of the archipelago. In December 2015, delegations arrived on the island of Ua Pou from all over the Marquesas as well as from Tahiti to engage in a “return to the source,” the theme for this 10th edition.
The Marquesan Festival of Arts
One of the festival’s main events held on the emblematic Tohua Upeke site in Taaoa valley on the island of Ua Pou.
La danse de l’oiseau, avec celle du cochon et le haka, est la plus connue et pratiquée.
“Traditions and stories from each island are performed.”
On the Upeke site before entering the performance space: a moment of calm and necessary moment of concentration
Each dancer, each warrior wears a necklace made out of pig, goat or beef bones collected after a hunt. For Marquesans, it is very important to wear a necklace as it represents the power of the Toa, or warrior.
Groups follow one after the other with the powerful sounds of the pahu drum accompanied by women singing: Fatuiva, Tahuata, Nuku Hiva and even Rikitea. Traditions and stories from each island are performed.
The festival is the moment during which Marquesans share their culture. Each island gets ready to perform and all the inhabitants are involved: elders, parents, children…
The pahu is a traditional Marquesan drum. It is a vital component of the dances.
Whereas men are toa in the Marquesas, the women are also warriors. Here, they are performing a hakka with the group Tiki Toa.
Each island, each dance group makes its own regalia. This preparation is very time consuming because they must gather all the materials: the grass fibers (more), coconut fibers, tapa, etc.
Led by about 40 dancers, the young group Kakaia from the island of Ua Pou surprised and even disturbed some people by the theme of their performance: Ua Pou warriors who killed a priest.
