Sarina Ah Mat interviewed by Karl Neuenfeldt and Lyn Costigan in the Torres Strait hula dancing oral history project [sound recording]
- Bib ID:
- 3661716
- Format:
- Audio
- Author:
- Ah Mat, Sarina, interviewee
- Access Conditions:
- Access to be determined.
- Description:
-
- 2005
- 1 digital audio tape (ca. 65 min.)
- Series:
- Torres Strait hula dancing oral history project.
- Summary:
-
Sarina Ah Mat, born on Thursday Island (TI) talks about her family background; her convent schooling; being a self taught hula dancer; performing for concerts, floor shows; learning Island dancing; what it is about the hula that attracted her; starting to dance the hula around the age 7; their evacuation from Torres Strait (TS) during the war; going to work, aged 9 to help support family in Cairns; dancing hula at parties at Bunda Street during war years; c.1943 being asked to join a group by Peter Savage and sister Florence Savage to entertain Australian and US troops; performing a couple of days a fortnight or month; how the troops seemed to enjoy the dancing; doing floor shows for different occasions at the Regal Hall and 'Coloured Club' during war years; Florence Savage; practising once a week; how the girls loved the dancing; dancing at different parties over the years eg. Christmas, birthday, tombstone unveilings, feasts.
Ah Mat discusses the House Party Hula in Nov. 2005, with Seaman Dan and friends; the dancing and singing of all the old Torres Strait songs at parties; the guitar and ukulele being played; singalongs; marrying; the continuation of the hula dancing after the war; her nieces dancing when she dances; how the hula is mainly for TS people; how she continues her dancing; only Torres Strait Islanders performed hula during the war; the dancing coming from TI to Cairns during war; her mother being Aboriginal and father Malayan; how the Cook Islander dancing differs from the TS hula dancing; how she likes to see the little ones dancing; her granddaughter winning a dancing competition for Cook Islander style hula in Townsville; some of younger generation becoming interested now.
- Notes:
-
- Recorded on November 1, 2005 at Thursday Island, Qld.
- Digital master available National Library of Australia
- Index/Finding Aid Note:
- Timed summary (3 p.) available.
- Subject:
- Other authors/contributors:
- Related Records:
-
This belongs to the Torres Strait hula dancing oral history project.
This collection contains 4 records. - Copyright:
-
In Copyright
Contact us for information about copying. For access conditions return to the record display above.
- Reason for copyright status:
- Until 2075 [Created/Published Date + 70 Years]
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Sound Recording
- Published status:
- Unpublished
- Creation date:
- 2005
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply. For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
Request this item
Request this item to view in the Library’s reading room.
Feedback
Similar items
- Torres Strait hula dancing oral history project
- Taumatini Tangatatia interviewed by Karl Neuenfeldt and Lyn Costigan in the Torres Strait hula dancing oral history project [sound recording]
- Betty Foster and Mary Bowie interviewed by Karl Neuenfeldt and Lyn Costigan in the Torres Strait hula dancing oral history project [sound recording]
- Cessa Nakata and Ina Titassy interviewed by Karl Neuenfeldt and Lyn Costigan in the Torres Strait hula dancing oral history project [sound recording]
- Torres Strait marine science [electronic resource] : collected publications and metadata, 1980-2003 / T.J. Taranto and C.R. Pitcher