Travel of Georg Forster
Malakula - Vanuatu (Mallicollo)
Title
Considerations on the music traditions of Mallicollo
Short description
Georg Forster reflects on the musical traditions of the inhabitants of the island of Mollicollo and their musical instruments.
Text on source
We have observed that the Mallicollese pass away a part of their time with music and dancing. Their instruments are doubtless very simple; we heard no other than drums; and these, together with whistles or pipes, are most easily invented. The common transactions of domestic life are so quiet and regular, that human nature seems to require some excentric movement to animate it. At times to be extravagant in the motions and exercises of the body, to produce a variety of sounds from various substances, and to strain the vocal organs beyond their usual scale, are functions perhaps indispensibly necessary in the revolution of human life, to act as spurs or stimuli, and to sweeten the labours of the day.
English translation
Folios/Pages
p. 232
Date
1774 07 23
Observations on the events description
The dots on the map indicate the places where sound and music events were described. They don't represent travel stages.
Participants
Name
Role
Notes
Edit
Delete
Cook, James
Travel fellow
How to quote
Fabbrocino A. P., "Considerations on the music traditions of Mallicollo" (Event description), Echos. Sound Ecosystems in Travelogues. Published 2024 04 05.
doi: 10.25430/echos.travels.76
This work is licensed under CC-BY-SA 4.0 
