Bounty Chords: Music, Dance, and Cultural Heritage on Norfolk and Pitcairn Islands

Abstract

Bounty Chords maps a rich and complex cultural history. Beginning with the Bounty mutiny in 1789, Philip Hayward analyses the establishment of the first Pitcairn Island settlement by mutineers and Tahitians in 1790, the mass relocation to Norfolk Island in 1855 and the subsequent development of the two island communities. Focusing on the central role of song and dance in forging local heritage and identity,Haywardprovides a vivid picture of the hybrid societies that developed on Pitcairn andNorfolk islands during the 19th and 20th centuries. Drawing on a wide range of historical sources and his own interactions with musicians and dancers, the author gives a detailed and persuasive account of local practices and their relation to international cultures. Following the communities through to the present, Hayward discusses the social crisis on Pitcairn Island in 2002-2005 and identifies the resilience of local micro-communities and their distinctive means of expression. Broadening the perspective, the volume concludes with an examination of concepts of heritage and with a discussion of the approach to culturally engaged research and facilitation the author pursued in his work with the island communities in 1999-2005.

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