An artist’s modern touch on tradition and the Tongan nose flute

In his ongoing journey to celebrate the fangufangu or Tongan nose flute, musician and producer Saia Tu’itahi has released a second album dedicated to this ancient craft.

His latest project is called ‘Fangufangu Māhina’ and is a seven-track album that explores the concept of hiva kakala.

Tu’itahi, who was born and raised in Tonga, told John Pulu on PMN Tonga that his latest album was inspired by the intricacies of finding love, both in a traditional and urban sense.

“When me and the boys are having faikava and we sing some Tongan songs, these are love songs, songs about heartbreak, or are about someone you have affection for or that you adore. This is the Tongan experience, right?

“In my urban, more diasporic experience, the music that I grew up listening to was hip hop, R&B, and soul. The theme is still true.

“So to me, it’s like a reimagining of what it looks like to express a bit of Tongan indigeneity in a modern lens of the kind of soundscape I grew up with and seeing how it fits.”

Tu’itahi said he wasn’t sure about whether his ancestors would approve of his contemporary interpretation of the instrument. But, he is enjoying the journey of discovering evocative and innovative ways of self-expression.

The fangufangu was a familiar sound in the Tu’itahi household as his father, Sione, had written a fictional story titled ‘Ko Maui Mo e Fangufangu - Maui and The Nose Flute’.

Tu’itahi said as a young boy, nothing about the fangufangu attracted him. It wasn’t until a Zoom call with his cousin during the Covid-19 pandemic that his passion for relearning the instrument was ignited.

Making Fangufangu in Sāmoa

During a recent holiday in Sāmoa, Tu’itahi visited the Tiapapata Art Centre, where he shared his flute-making knowledge with young students.

“I told my wife, ‘This is just a little side quest. I need to go meet a friend and see if we can make fangufangu’.

“I happened to come across a couple of boys who were there from the village, and they were keen to make some with me. So, I documented the little experience and threw it up on YouTube.

“I know that fangufangu has existed all across the Pacific and I spoke with some people in Sāmoa whether they knew of it, some had heard of it and some hadn’t.”

Nose flutes of the Pacific

Dating back to the 17th century, the fangufangu was traditionally used to worship ancient Gods and awaken Tongan chiefs and royalty from their sleep.

It is made from bamboo and features a varying number of holes that create different pitches of sound. There are similar instruments across the region: Niue has the kilikīhoa/kilikihō, in Fiji, it is called dulali, vivo ko’e in the Cook Islands, and Hawai’i has the ‘ohe hanu ihu.

Māori have nguru and kōauau ponga ihu, which are not made of bamboo but instead carved from wood, stone, or bone.

While its uses range from a form of alarm clock to serenades and entertainment, the nose flute is a prominent part of traditional music-making throughout the Pacific.

Tu’itahi’s new body of work is a follow-up to his renaissance EP called, ‘Fangufangu ‘Inasi’, released in 2023, which was created for the ‘Inasi: First Fruits exhibition by the Kava Book Club Aotearoa.

Tu’itahi said while his first album focused primarily on traditional aspects of the fangufangu, his newest release takes a modern approach.

“I guess the time that I had available during lockdown and trying to merge my musical background with something a bit more traditional, I figured, let me try and make some Fangufangu and see how I can bring these two worlds together, something a bit traditional with something a bit more contemporary.”

Fangufangu Māhina is available on all music streaming platforms and through Tu’itahi’s social media.