The Pātē is a Samoan drum that came from Tahiti. Its name comes from the Samoan word for "beat" or "clap." It is one of many Samoan log drum types and belongs to the slit drum family, which is also part of the idiophone percussion family. The Pātē is made from a hollowed-out log, often from Miro wood, and makes a loud, clear sound. Different sizes of log drums create different pitches and volumes, depending on where they are struck—either in the middle or near the ends.
Talipalau drums are a Samoan type that is slightly larger than the Pātē but smaller than the Lali log drum. Some Talipalau drums can be as tall as 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) and as long as 3 meters (9.8 feet). These drums are related to the larger Fijian Lali drums. The smaller Pātē was brought to Samoa by Tahitians who married Samoans and settled there about 500 years ago. Today, the Pātē is used with other traditional log drums and the Samoan fala drum in music. Because Samoan music spread widely during the Polynesian expansion, the Pātē is now popular in nearby islands like Uvea, Futuna, Tokelau, Tuvalu, and Niue.
There are five main Samoan wooden slit drum types.
Tahitian warriors taught complex drumming techniques using wooden log drums to the Samoan Islands and the Cook Islands. In Rarotonga, these traditions have become deeply spiritual and are still part of Cook Islands drumming today.
In Samoa, log drums were traditionally used to send messages over long distances during wartime and to signal important events like meetings with leaders or villages. They are also used in traditional songs and dances.
In Tahiti, drumming and dancing are now more often used for entertainment and tourism. For example, in French Polynesia, the annual Heiva i Tahiti festival allows different tribes and island groups to compete in dance and drumming contests.
Construction Process
A piece of a hardwood tree trunk or a thick branch is selected. The bark is removed from this piece. Holes are drilled into the log in a straight line, from one end to the other, with optional space left at each end. The material between the holes is carved out, creating a slit. The log is then hollowed out through this slit. The shape of the slit and how much the log is hollowed will influence the sound and pitch of the pate.