Music from Tonga comes from the island of Tonga, which is part of the Polynesian islands. Today, Tongan music is usually divided into two main types: traditional music that has remained over time, or music that is either religious or secular. Tongan music can be very emotional and modern, using instruments like brass instruments, or it can be traditional, using only drums and voices. Even though Tonga has a small population, its music is very different because the traditions and styles stay separate and do not mix together.

Colonial History

Tonga was invaded by European explorers in 1616. Early invaders, such as Captain Cook in the 1770s and William Mariner in the 19th century, wrote about traditional dances that included singing and drumming.

The first missionaries who wanted to spread their religion, English Methodists, arrived in 1822. By 1830, most of the population were nominally Christian. Western church music, along with Western classical and popular music, began to mix with traditional Tongan music. This blending created the hybrid music styles common in Tonga today. Popular guitar styles are also used widely in Tonga now.

Surviving traditional music

Traditional music is kept alive (though how accurately is unknown) in special songs performed at royal and noble weddings and funerals, and in a song sung during the traditional apology ceremony called the lou-ifi.

Radio Tonga starts each day's broadcast with a recording from Veʻehala, a nobleman and well-known expert on the nose flute. The nose flute is rarely heard today, as younger people prefer the guitar.

Some ancient dances are still performed, such as ula, ʻotuhaka, and meʻetuʻupaki.

The lali, or slit-gong, is still used by church groups that cannot afford a bell, serving as a replacement for a church bell.

In the late 1800s, missionaries brought hymns popular in England and Australia at the time. They kept the Western music and translated the words into Tongan. These hymns are still sung in the largest Methodist church, the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga.

Other Christian groups have introduced their own musical traditions. The Roman Catholic Church in Tonga, though a smaller group, has been open to traditional Tongan culture. However, their church music follows Western Catholic styles.

In smaller churches and minority Methodist groups, hymns are sung without musical accompaniment, called hiva usu. A skilled singer begins by singing the first notes alone (a practice called hua or opening), and the rest of the group joins afterward. Church choirs are popular, and most congregations sing hymns in harmony.

Free Wesleyan Churches include not only choirs but also brass bands. This tradition may have come from northern England, a region with strong Methodist communities where brass bands are common. Tongans take pride in the size and grandeur of their bands, just as they do their churches. Smaller churches do not have bands but hope to have them in the future.

All Methodist churches hold occasional choir performances (po hiva) in larger churches, inviting nearby congregations to attend. Choirs practice hard to show their skill to other groups. Handel's Hallelujah Chorus is often performed at these events, as it is seen as the best example of choir performance.

Hymn-singing is common during wakes before funerals. Family members sit with the body, and mourners visit to say goodbye and offer gifts to those who are grieving. The church choir (from the family's own church) sings hymns throughout the day and night in the background.

Secular music

Secular music in Tonga is created in many different styles, from those that are somewhat traditional to those strongly influenced by pop music from other countries. Common instruments include voice, guitar, and sometimes musicians from church brass bands.

Hiva kakala, which means "fragrant songs" and refers to love poems, are an important part of the semi-traditional music group. Many of these songs, still popular today, were written by Queen Sālote in the 1950s. They are often performed during tauʻolunga dances. Another important type of music in this group includes formal songs that praise chiefs and the royal family. These songs are often used in dances like the māʻuluʻulu or the lakalaka, which is Tonga's national dance form.

Mixed dancing, known as hulohula in Western cultures, is not common in Tonga. It is not part of village life and is only seen in cities like Nukuʻalofa.

Most village musicians perform only in church or at koniseti, which are concerts. These events often raise money for causes such as sports teams or local communities. Musicians usually include singers, guitar players, and sometimes church brass bands. The music is melodic and uses minor keys, serving as background for dancers. Villagers may practice for months to perform at koniseti, traveling to other villages or islands. The success of these events often depends on the quality of the performance. Sometimes, koniseti are performed only once for special occasions.

Music is often heard in Tongan towns and villages, but it usually comes from Radio Tonga, a government-run radio station. It broadcasts from early morning until late at night and can be heard in even the smallest villages through battery-powered tepi s, which are combination radio and tape players. A Western visitor once said in 1980, "You can't get away from Radio Tonga."

Radio Tonga plays music from local Tongan groups, as well as music from Fijian, Samoan, and Hawaiian artists. It also broadcasts church services and choir competitions, sharing both religious and popular music. Tongan music often includes strong vocal performances, either solo or in groups, with harmonies in minor keys and guitar accompaniment. To some Western listeners, this sounds similar to American country music.

Western pop music is popular among younger people but is not approved by elders or churches. It can be purchased on CDs or tapes, watched on DVDs or videos, heard on short-wave radio, seen in movie theaters, or viewed on the one television station in Nukuʻalofa. However, the government limits what can be imported or played.

Local customs also influence music. It is not allowed to discuss sexual topics in the presence of people who are related by brother-sister relationships, including cousins. This rule applies to most public events where both men and women are present.

Contemporary Tongan pop music has spread beyond Tonga, but only to Tongan communities in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. No Tongan artists have had major success outside Tonga. However, a group called the Jets, an R&B/pop band from the 1980s, had several hits in the United States. The group, based in Minneapolis, consists of eight siblings whose parents moved to the U.S. from Tonga.