Professional Documents
Culture Documents
| NZ Music
With
reference
to
EITHER
Herbs'
French
Letter
OR
Patea
Maori's
Poi
E,
discuss
how
the
song
was
a
response
to
social
and/or
political
events
of
the
time.
You
should
consider
the
historical
and
cultural
background,
as
well
as
looking
at
the
song's
lyrics.
Prior
to
the
1980s,
it
was
highly
rare
to
hear
mainstream
New
Zealand
music
that
was
driven
political
or
social
events.
It
was
with
the
emergence
of
the
reggae
genre
that
Kiwi
artists
would
begin
to
embrace
politicized
themes
and
songs
of
protest,
and
perhaps
the
most
significant
forerunners
of
this
shift
was
Herbs.
Herbs
were
a
reggae
group
whose
music
spoke
about
many
of
the
major
issues
that
New
Zealanders
were
facing
at
the
time.
The
bands
first
single,
French
Letter,
was
released
in
1982
as
a
response
to
nuclear
testing
taking
place
in
the
Pacific
Ocean
at
the
command
of
France.
The
songs
statement
is
apparent
not
only
in
its
lyrics,
but
also
its
sound.
Bob
Marley
visited
New
Zealand
in
1979
and
with
him
he
brought
the
wave
of
reggae
and
an
attitude
that
very
quickly
captured
the
minds
of
New
Zealanders.
This
was
a
time
where
political
and
social
issues
were
wholly
scarce
from
mainstream
music
in
New
Zealand,
despite
reggaes
roots
in
activism.
While
the
sound
of
reggae
may
have
been
easy
to
replicate,
few
had
been
able
to
capture
the
outlook
and
boldness
of
Marley
and
other
international
reggae
stars.
This
all
changed,
however,
with
the
arrival
of
Herbs.
Mus149G | NZ Music
Mus149G | NZ Music
French
Letter
had
a
clear
message:
Ki
te
la
Pacific
get
out
of
the
Pacific.
Yearning
for
a
nuclear
free
sea,
it
felt
as
though
Herbs
were
truly
speaking
on
behalf
of
New
Zealand,
and
had
managed
to
articulate
the
concerns
and
protests
of
the
nation
in
a
manner
which
kiwis
across
the
country
could
connect
with:
Is
there
nothing
at
all
who
can
appease
your
greed?
Could
you
please
leave
the
air
we
breathe?
Why
is
it
something
we've
done?
You
all
seem
to
forget
About
nuclear
fallout
and
the
long-term
effects
Outside
of
the
lyrics,
the
instrumentation
of
the
song
emphasizes
its
themes.
The
song
farcically
features
a
French
accordion,
amongst
a
typical
reggae
beat,
developing
a
distinct
Pacific
sound.
French
Letter
was
a
major
mainstream
success.
While
earlier
Herbs
works
had
also
been
driven
by
sociopolitical
themes
this
was
their
first
single,
giving
it
an
outreach
that
spread
the
message
across
the
country.
Nationwide,
however,
radio
stations
ignored
the
song
mostly
due
to
the
titles
innuendo
but
this
wouldnt
stop
French
Letter
from
staying
on
the
charts
for
eleven
weeks
after
its
debut.
It
was
precisely
because
of
its
message
that
French
Letter
was
able
to
stand
out
against
other
reggae
music
at
the
time,
and
maintain
mainstream
prominence
for
so
long.
Mus149G | NZ Music
Unfortunately,
while
inspiring
Kiwis,
the
record
was
unable
to
stop
France
from
nuclear
testing
in
the
Pacific,
and
the
testing,
and
subsequent
protest
continued
into
the
mid-1990s.
In
1995,
Herbs
rerecorded
and
rereleased
French
Letter,
whose
message
was
just
as
poignant,
prevalent
and
just
as
relevant
as
when
it
was
released
over
a
decade
prior.
The
French
finally
ceased
testing
in
Mururoa
in
January
1996,
months
after
the
records
rerelease.
The
early
1980s
saw
a
major
rise
in
social
and
political
activism
in
New
Zealand,
which
came
hand
in
hand
with
the
local
emergence
of
reggae.
In
1982,
reggae
group
Herbs
released
their
first
single
French
Letter.
The
song
was
recorded
as
a
response
to
French
nuclear
testing
in
the
Pacific,
with
themes
and
lyrics
that
resonated
with
the
masses
of
protesters
and
activists
in
New
Zealand
who
had
fought
against
the
testing.
Mus149G | NZ Music
REFERENCE
LIST:
'French
letter'
by
Herbs.
New
Zealand
History.
Retrieved
October
2,
2014,
from
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/video/french-letter,
(Ministry
for
Culture
and
Heritage)
Moffatt,
G.
(n.d.).
HERBS
HISTORY.
HERBS.
Retrieved
October
2,
2014,
from
http://www.glenmoffatt.com/herbs_history.
'Nuclear
testing
in
the
Pacific'.
New
Zealand
History.
Retrieved
October
2,
2014
from
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/nuclear-free-new-zealand/testing-in-
the-pacific,
(Ministry
for
Culture
and
Heritage)
Reid,
G.
(2012,
September
2).
HERBS,
NEW
ZEALAND'S
POLITICISED
REGGAE
REVOLUTION
INTO
THE
HALL
OF
FAME
(2012):
Hard
tings
an'
times.
Elsewhere
by
Graham
Reid.
Retrieved
October
2,
2014,
from
http://www.elsewhere.co.nz/reggae/2753/herbs-new-zealands-politicised-reggae-
revolution-into-the-hall-of-fame-2012-hard-tings-an-times/
South
Pacific
Protest
Song
*
French
Letter.
(n.d.).
New
Zealand
Folk
Song.
Retrieved
October
2,
2014,
from
http://folksong.org.nz/french_letter/index.html