We have been out working in Hawai’i again – we love the mix of people we get to meet on the islands – came across this story of a Tongan dancer who is preserving traditional Tongan dance and stories in New Zealand.
The Tro Ou (another instrument on the Garlands CD) is a two stringed bowed instrument with a long history of being played at weddings It is made out of a coconut and snake skin with 2 strings, the lower pitch string known as”Gor” is approximately a C (in Western notation) and the higher, “Ek” is a G. The bow is called a “Chak'” and is made of hard wood and horsehair or fiber from a tree.
Here is a video of one of the tracks we recorded for the Garlands for Ashes DVD. A new tune written for Khmer traditional orchestra.
