How Kanak is kaneka music? The use of traditional percussion instruments in the modern music of the Melanesians in New Caledonia

Kaneka is the contemporary and highly popular music of the young Melanesians in New Caledonia. The musicians say kaneka is the sound of their ancestors; their grandfathers on the other hand say there are not enough traditional elements in kaneka. Most of the traditional music of New Caledonia has been forgotten, and there is only a limited number of musical expressions from which the young musicians can take their ideas. The most evident link between kaneka and their grandfathers' music is the use of traditional percussion instruments. However, how percussion instruments accompany traditional singing and how they accompany kaneka music can show important differences. Perhaps the typical Melanesian element in kaneka lies not in the music itself but in the way the musicians treat kaneka as a cultural and political movement.