Narasirato origins
Narasirato Tribal Ancestry
A tribe in the Are'are region of Malaita Island, in the Solomon Islands, comprises a number of extended families sharing a single patrilineal genealogy. This extended family or wantok system has been developed over generations, and supports all members of the community living a subsistence lifestyle. The Arre'are culture is built upon the pillars of love. Loving fellow man with heart and in deeds, through sharing and supporting each other, with resources bestowed upon them from the architecture of life and creation. The Are'are people live close to nature, with their culture deeply rooted in the sounds that surround them - from the insects, reptiles, animals, plants and trees in the jungle, the resonance of the river, streams, waterfalls and rain, and the sound of waves, fish, sharks, sea shells, the rocks and all living creatures in the sea.
It is from these places in nature that most of the panpipe tunes and melodies are derived. Indeed, this is the root of the beautiful Are'are culture and heritage.
Most of the musicians come from Oterama Village and are part of the Maniharu (Land of the Muddy Tree) Tribe, a name derived from the wet and muddy land dominated by the entangled mangrove trees common in the Are;are region (called Haru). The other tribes represented include the Sura Iamarore Tribe, derived from a land of numerous blessings, the wonders from the jungle's creation and the sea pike fish; The Uwo Tribe, Uwo meaning the cock, an object made out of wood or leaves, to be used as lid; and the Hurasina Tribe, whose name originates in the luck of bait fish brought to the land and the tribe. This was an inherited blessing and forms part of the life of that tribe.
Narasirato History
The Narasirato Are'are Panpipers come from the neighbouring villages of Oterama, Pipisu and Ta'aruamanu, all situated on the lagoon of West Are'are, in the south of Malaita Island in the Solomon Islands. These villagers live as extended families and are subsistence farmers and fishermen who live peacefully amongst the rainforest, and on the blue lagoon of West Are'are which is fringed by white crystalline sandy beaches. The villages maintain the unique culture of Are'are.
The group was founded in 1991 by Mr. Mathew Houaisuta, a business proprietor from the West Are'are lagoon. Mr. Houaisuta and his family of five wholeheartedly love the panpipe music of Are'are, and had a dream of positively and directly contributing to the development of the art in the Are'are communities and also in the Solomon Islands as a whole.
The panpipe is an instrument that has been handed down from generation to generation within the Are'are culture. They are the mediums for communication and transmission of the Are'are tradition and culture through the generations. The Are'are culture was not recorded in writing until the early 1960s, but was passed on by word of mouth and in the form of music. The Are'are panpipes play an important role in actively presenting the social culture in people's homes, and at feasts and festivals.
