TUSI'I MEI LAGI
Wallis and Futuna is located more than 16,000 kilometres from metropolitan France, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The Wallis Islands on the one hand, Futuna and Alofi on the other hand, of Polynesian culture, belong to the «Polynesian triangle» and are about three hundred kilometers from the Fiji and Samoa Islands, two thousand kilometers from the NewCaledonia and two thousand eight hundred kilometers from Tahiti. The population is about seventeen thousand inhabitants, two thirds of whom live in Wallis and one third in Futuna.
Located in the South Pacific, Wallis is a low volcanic island of seventy-seven square kilometers, with little relief, surrounded by a lagoon. Wallis and Futuna is a distinctively unique territory that has never been colonized, but decided to join the French Republic while retaining its three kingdoms. Thus the Wallisians and Futunians reconcile French culture with their traditions common to the peoples of the Pacific.
Wallis and Futuna were populated three thousand four hundred years ago by the Lapita people, an Austronesian population making a particular type of pottery whose many remains have been found in the Pacific. It was not until the 19th century that Westerners came into contact with Wallis and Futuna. These are mainly whalers and deserters, some of whom are settling down in a sustainable way and gradually integrating, sometimes marrying indigenous women.
The custom or «AGA'IFENUA» is very important in the heart and daily life of the Wallisians and Futunians. It remained intact and alive despite contacts with the West. Many actions are explained by custom or resolved by "doing custom". The local culture, deeply community, is founded in this collective memory where traditions and customs as well as traditional institutions are expressed. It is both a folk art and a way of regulating society.
The music accompanies the dance. It is performed with typical Polynesian instruments, mainly percussion and winds. Dances may be informal or accompany official ceremonies. Some are rhythmic by percussions that the dancers play: simple intercoups of sticks in the eke or weapons in the warrior dances, clubs in the kailao or paddles in the tapaki (tā-paki in Futuna). Others are accompanied by an external ensemble consisting of a choir and percussion, sometimes with ukuleles. Several dances are performed in a sitting position such as the imported niutao from Tuvalu or the sasa from Samoa. They are characterized by elegant movements of arms and hands.
The folk ensemble "Tusi'i Mei Lagi" takes you to the end of the world, in Wallis and Futuna, and accompanies you on a discovery of one of the most authentic cultures in the world, that of the south Pacific whose sunsets over the lagoon are magnificent.
