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Story: Tokelauans

Te Vaka

Audio file

Listen to a segment of a song from the successful Tokelauan band Te Vaka. The pate (log drums) maintain Pacific timbres and beats, forming the backdrop to their songs. They sing of Tokelau’s history and address diverse themes, from the Peruvian ‘blackbirders’ (slave traders) of the past to modern threats such as rising sea levels.

Sound file from Warm Earth Records

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Te Vaka

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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Tokelauans – Culture and custom, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/music/733/te-vaka (accessed 25 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 4 March 2009, updated 1 March 2015.