By Tahisihaka Andrew Dormans:
Growing up as a child or a teenager in the rural communities of Solomon Islands in the early 1980’s, the most popular medium of information and source of entertainment available is the radio.
At least in some of the households there were radios. Usually, the members of the community would flock around the radio and listen to their favorite programs being broadcasted by the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC).
For most of the people, Friday afternoons and Saturday nights were the real favorites. On Fridays the popular “Special Requests” segments would come on air in the afternoons.
On Saturday nights after the “Custom Story” with Uncle Luke Susuta, the “String Band Hit Parade” would be the next favorite lineup in the program. I can bet that no one would dare to leave to their houses for the night until the “String Band Hit Parade” was truly over.
The top10 local songs for the week would be played in the order from number 10 to number one on the SIBC top ten hits. Many of the old and local favorite songs were featured on the String Band Hit Parade every weekend. Popular household names like Moses Aru Graciano, Fred Maedola, Maworo String Band, Snow Cover, Fuaga Brothers and numerous other artists from all over Solomon Islands were featured in the popular radio program.
Two of the popular songs at that time were the “Malaita” and “Usugani Le’a Tara’ina” from the little-known group tagged as the “Chrissa Sisters String Band from Kwa’a village, West Kwaio of Malaita Province.
Chrissa Sisters String Band are originally from Kwa’a village in West Kwaio, Malaita Province. The band itself and the great people behind it may not be popular like other local artists in Solomon Islands but certainly their two songs by no means should be discounted and claimed as unpopular on the national airwave, the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC).
The two songs were simple but popular that they captured the hearts of many Solomon Islanders. In a recent interview with Isaiah Suru, one of the band members who actually played the Ukulele, he revealed that they actually recorded ten (10) songs with Late Claudius Horiwapu of Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) at his residence at Kwa’a village in one of the years either in 1978 or 1979 as he recalled.
There were five members in the band at that time and it included Isaiah Suru, Claudius Samu and the three sisters Elizabeth Kofa’e, Mary Asunta Sufai’a and Martina Sufai’a.
Mr Isaiah Suru during the interview took the opportunity to acknowledge the involvement of the Late John Ale who was instrumental in composing the “Malaita” song.
As I interviewed Isaiah Suru about the “Malaita” song, he excitedly confirmed that thesong actually has four verses. Unfortunately, they did not record the other two verses. They only recorded two of the four verses including the chorus with the Late Claudius Horiwapu. I smiled and enquired why? He responded accordingly and stated that that they were in a rush to record the songs.
The Malaita song was not quite completed. Claudius Horiwapu had arrived and they were scheduled to record the 10 songs. It was just a quick decision and they had to setup pretty fast for the recording. Yes, it was a song about Mama Malaita, Isaiah Suru enthusiastically shared the story during the short interview.
The other two verses described the northern and the Southern part of Malaita Island. Unfortunately, the two verses were not recorded.
Naturally all the band members were singers in their village, Kwa’a. But they never really got to imagine singing together as a band and the fact that they were eventually recording their songs.
When they were asked to sing for the recording, the three sisters grouped together with Claudius Samu and Isaiah Suru himself and put on the show, he excitedly recalled.
The only instrument they played was the Ukulele made from the “Taba’a” or Tapa’a tree. There were two ukuleles.
Claudius Samu played the strings whilst Isaiah Suru did the strumming just as they used to do in the evenings at Kwa’a village. That was the simple life then, Isaiah Suru vividly recalled. Elizabeth Kofa’e, Mary Asunta Sufai’a and Martina Sufai’a did the popular vocals heard on the radio.
Elizabeth Kofa’e was the lead vocalist whilst the other two provided the support vocals. It was their natural voices, they were awesome and could naturally sing.
The second popular song was written and composed by Isaiah Suru in the Kwaio language, a love song titled “Usugani Le’a Tara’ina.” Literally, the song title means “Good Morning Today”
When I called Mr Suru on the phone at his home village, I was excited when he confirmed that one of the three sisters was present and she was available for the interview. Unfortunately, the other two were not available at that time. As soon as the phone was handed to Elizabeth Kofa’e, I introduced myself and my intention to interview her. I could hear her excitement on the other side. She introduced herself as Elizabeth Kofa’e. I quickly informed her that I have the recent photo of three of them. Where are you in the photo, I asked? She made sure that she was not mistaken. I am on the right with the black hair, she giggled. I immediately recognized her from the picture.
Elizabeth Kofa’e was not a popular person as she was a village girl and could only sing in their village, Kwa’a. She and her two sisters grouped and performed the songs as the songs were familiar to them. Nothing was special or extraordinary for her and the two sisters. After they recorded the 10 songs, that was it, they went on with their lives in the village. Later Martina Sufai’a married to a man from Kwalakwala village in East Kwaio, Malaita.
Mary Asunta Sufai’a was married in to a man from her own village at Kwa’a. I paused and posed to her the next question, are you married? She laughed and told me that she never married. “Mi no marit, mi Sista nao, mi waka lo Siosi” I am not married, I am a Sister and I work for the church. I only nodded in agreement with her.
Would you be able to sing again? You sang beautifully those two songs. Yes, I can, but it was in the younger days when we sang, she laughed. She will sing again if requested, but nowadays she only sing in the church with the little children. I asked her if she also played the ukulele, she only sang and her uncle (Isaiah Suru and relative (Claudius Samu) actually played the ukulele’s for the recording.
The name “Chrissa Sisters String Band”, how did it came about? What was special about it? According to Isaiah Suru, actually it was “GIRISA” and not CHRISSA as it was officially tagged by the recorder, the Late Claudius Horiwapu.
He joked, “Ating hem man lo Are’are so hem nao olsem ia” The recorder had it as Chrissa possibly because he is from Are’are. The slang “girisa” is used to describe a person claiming something that is not quite true about him or her or an exaggerator. As Isaiah Suru puts it, “olsem taem man no kaikai pikpik bata hem talem hem kaikai pikpik tu bae mifala say goheti girisim or sugam”
The name was inspired from the fact that the band was going to record when they were not quite ready or really established as a performing band. It was just raw recording. I would put it like that at least.
But the “Malaita” song and Usugani Le’a Tara’ina would prove their popularity to live on for the last 33 years. Today these two songs had made it to YouTube and they both can be accessed online. A huge appreciation to the Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation (SIBC) for their invaluable digital library that kept secure the songs for the enjoyment of today’s listeners.
It is a sincere hope, that the members of this little known band “Chrissa Sisters String Band” are recognized for their work and natural artistic ability for presenting a simple song that is increasingly being referred to as the “Malaita” song today.
In some ways this promotional article is hoping to achieve that as well as recognition for the band members for contributing to the music industry in Solomon Islands by sharing this story with others.
Generally, people think of Malaita Island when they hear this beautiful and simple song performed with the golden and magical strings of the ukulele.
Who knows, but there is contemplation about the possibility of recording the full version of the “Malaita” song sometimes in the near future. With all the members of the band still around chances are high and it is not hard to materialize if all the planning goes on well. Having the full version of the Malaita song is not a bad idea at all.
In the recent weeks’ efforts have been made to regroup the band members to record the “Malaita” song in full which include the other two verses. The two verses actually described the Northern, Southern and Eastern parts of Malaita Island. Fortunately, the recording was made in the last few weeks which now featured Stella, Martina’s Sufai’a’s younger sister. Martina Sufai’a was not available when the latest recording was done.
Whilst trying to get contact with people behind this group, I was also privileged to get the lyrics of the songs “Usugani Le’a Tara’ina” from my good comrades from Malaita. The lyrics for the Malaita song, are provided by Mr Suru
It is my great pleasure to leave you with the lyrics of the two songs from Chrissa Sister’s String Band and hope you will enjoy listening and singing along.
USUGANI LE’A TARA’INA
- Usugani le’a tara’ina
Manatalamu no’ona e kotofi’o mola
O iria fagu o eno bole nau
Ma inau na manatalagu ame rugasi’o no’o
Chorus
Ku dau suria labegu lei
E ato maka ato akui esi nau amu
O arisi nau ania nono’oilagu
Ngai lei ato akui laribonosi’o no’o
- Fata lamu fagu e kwala’imori no’o
Ma osi masaria manatalamu mai agu.
To’oru odo mola fa’inia wanemu
Kwaimanga kotokoto lei osi manada’inia.
“GOOD MORNING TODAY”
- Good morning today
Your thoughts lie to you
You told you dreamt about me
And I, my mind cannot leave you.
Chorus
I feel my body
It’s hard for me to swear at myself of you.
You woke me up with kissing me
That’s why I cannot forget you.
- Your words to me are true.
But don’t spoil your thoughts on me.
Just stay true to your man
Don’t think about this false love and friendship.
Chorus
I feel my body
It’s hard for me to swear at myself of you
You woke me up with a kiss. That’s why it’s hard for me to forget you.
“MALAITA ISLAND”
- There’s a home sweet home, where I belong to. The beautiful land that I know. It’s so dear to me, my beautiful island. The beautiful isles of Malaita
Chorus:
Malaita Island so blue against the sky
I am so proud that I belongs to you
Malaita Island so blue against the sky
That’s the wonderful isles of Malaita
- If you look to your left, you will see mount Alasa’a. With the clouds surround it like its nest. To your right you’ll see the towering peak of Tolobusu. That’s the wonders of this isles of Malaita.
Chorus:
Malaita Island so blue against the sky
I am so proud that I belongs to you
Malaita Island so blue against the sky
That’s the wonderful isles of Malaita
