Hiva Kakala: The Fragrant Songs of Love, Metaphor, and Memory in Tongan Culture
Hiva kakala is one of the most beloved and enduring genres of Tongan secular music, a form of sung poetry that translates literally to “sweet-smelling songs” or “garland songs.” The term kakala itself refers to fragrant flowers and plants that are woven into garlands and waist girdles, and in the context of music, the name evokes the same sense of beauty, emotional depth, and cherished value that these flowers hold in Tongan culture. Emerging as a distinct acculturated style, hiva kakala is characterized by its use of hymn-style harmonies, often sung in a note-against-note style that reflects the influence of nineteenth-century Christian hymns introduced by missionaries. This musical structure is typically paired with poetic texts that explore themes of love, longing, and loss, making it a powerful vehicle for personal and emotional expression.
The true genius of hiva kakala, however, lies in its masterful use of heliaki, the Tongan art of indirect metaphorical speech. Poets and composers of hiva kakala rarely state their feelings plainly; instead, they weave intricate tapestries of symbolism, drawing on natural imagery, birds, and cultural artifacts to convey profound emotion. For example, a poet might use the image of the fuiva, a native Tongan bird renowned for its beautiful singing, as a heliaki symbol for a beloved lover. In Queen Sālote’s famous hiva kakala song, the fuiva that whistles in the garden becomes a metaphor for her cherished one, and its song is a “delicious food for both the mind and heart”. This technique allows for an artistic and often therapeutic expression of love, where the true meaning is layered beneath the surface, accessible only to those with the cultural knowledge to interpret it.
Beyond love, hiva kakala often engages with complex and even somber themes, using the beauty of its poetry and music to explore the nature of suffering and mortality. In the work of master poet Peni Latu, a hiva kakala composition intertwines the theme of actual love with the reality of symbolic death, portraying love as a form of exile and hopelessness where separation is inevitable. This intertwining of love and death creates a powerful tension; the poet’s “undying love” is so immense that it weakens the body and mind, making death seem a welcome release from misery. Another striking example is a composition by Sioape Alo Kaho for Queen Takipo, a parting gift of a “lovely garland” for her husband, King Tupou II, upon his untimely passing, demonstrating how the genre can transform profound personal grief into an enduring work of art.
Over time, hiva kakala has shown a remarkable capacity for evolution while maintaining its core aesthetic principles. Traditional composers like the highly respected Tu’imala Kaho, often called the “Tongan Nightingale,” lament what they perceive as a decline in the poetic skills of contemporary composers, advocating for a more traditionalist approach that emphasizes proper respect and the ideal conditions for producing mafana (a sense of warmth and emotional intensity). Yet, the genre has also adapted to modern contexts. Some musicians have created Western notation arrangements of hiva kakala for brass bands, a transformation that parallels the evolution of other Tongan performance traditions like the lakalaka. These arrangements, such as Queen Sālote’s beloved “Katinia” (Gardenia), demonstrate the genre’s flexibility, allowing it to be performed by string bands and brass ensembles alike, thereby increasing its exposure and ensuring its continued place in the modern Tongan soundscape.
