Having already been officially welcomed in Nataleira, we needed to go through the same ritual in Silana, the neighboring village. The same night that we came for our sevusevu, a group of volunteers building a bure in Silana were saying farewell to the village. To celebrate the work that they had done, say goodbye, as well as welcome us, the villagers planned a Meke dance.

A Meke dance is a traditional Fijian dance that tells a story. The men dance, while other village members sing and create the accompanying music. Most Meke dances involve stories of battle and victory. I was told that the Meke dance that we observed involved a fishing story!

We went to the “community center” in Silana, watched our kava offering be blessed, enjoyed another sevusevu, and then waited for the Meke to start. The music was created by men, women, children, and bamboo poles. It was actually really amazing music! I must say, Fijians love to sing, are really good at it, and do it all the time as a social activity.

Sidenote: These pictures by no means “are worth a thousand words” that could be used to describe this event. Photographs are really not supposed to be taken at all, neither at a meke dance nor a sevusevu. So, without flash and at the side of the crowd, I tried my best to capture the event without disrespecting our hosts. Please enjoy them for their obscurity, their movement, and the very intimate picture they provide of life in a tiny Fijian village.  

The music began first.

Musicians = men, women, kids, bamboo poles.

Then the dancers entered.

There was a bit of dialogue and acting during the meke, but mostly music and dancing. Occasionally all the villagers would explode in a roar of laughter, so I assume it was a lighthearted and amusing story.

After the meke dancers were finished, the floor was open for everyone else! Similar to last night, you had to wait to be tapped on the shoulder to dance. That was the extent of the similarities though! The music and dancing was traditional Fijian made by the same singers as the meke (versus Maroon 5 out of a boom box!). Dance partners stood facing the same direction and walked four steps forward and then four steps back. No creativity needed!! One time I got tapped on the back and didn’t even know who asked me, because he already had a partner! Two arms = two partners in Fiji!

And then there was Mikly! This four-month old puppy has a reputation within the village as an unruly pain. You see, in Fijian villages dogs are really not considered pets and have to fend for themselves most of the time. They definitely are not allowed in the community center! However, Milky was rescued from the capital town of Suva by a staff member who manages the volunteers and brought to Suva. He has become the volunteer mascot in Silana and basically gets to do whatever he wants…including lay right in the middle of the “dance floor”.

Speaking of dance floors, this brings me to an interesting point. Every building/house in a Fijian village has mats on the floor, that you can see in many of these (and sevusevu) pictures. These are huge mats, woven out of tree leaves, hand-made by the village women. You can see the leaves drying in the sun all over the village. They were really amazing.

I heard from several other volunteers – who had already traveled around a lot during their visit – that people can watch meke dances in the popular tourist corners of the country. They also said that the “villagers” were actually actors and that the meke dance was nothing compared to what was performed for us tonight. Add Silana Meke Dance to the list of once-in-a-lifetime Fijian experiences. I’m getting emotional just reflecting on it.