9. Heavy Metal Breakdown

9. Heavy Metal Breakdown (Updated 7-18-15

9.               Heavy Metal Breakdown

Tahitian metal band Titanic is to hold a concert at a human rights park in Papeete City on Saturday to mark the 25th anniversary of Amnesty International Tahiti and raise funds for its causes. The show at the Paul Gauguin Human Rights Memorial and Cultural Park will take the form of a folk music concert, said Eddie Grime lead vocalist of the band and chairman of Amnesty International Taiwan. All proceeds from ticket sales, which have so far surpassed XPF 1.754.492 (US$20,000), will be donated to Amnesty International Tahiti, Grime said. He said his band has decided to tune down its heavy metal music for fear that it would disturb nearby residents. “The park is not a traditional concert venue,” he said. Through the concert, Grime hopes to encourage the public, especially the younger generation, to take part in more activism, such as the release of political prisoners in other countries and campaigns against sexual exploitation. Singer-songwriter Sum Dum-Chik and Kum Tu-Soon vocalist of punk-rock band EMD (Eat My Dick) Commune will also make guest appearances, Grime said. Titanic’s lyrics are inspired by Tahitian legends, history and folklore, and its heavy metal music incorporates melodies from Tahitian opera and folk melodies. Traditional instruments such as the pahu.fa'atete, to'ere, vivo, pu, and ukulele are also often heard in its songs. The five-member group is one of the best-known Tahitian bands overseas. It won Tahiti’s Heiva Best Band award in 2006 and was voted second best band by readers of the French extreme metal magazine Metal Hurlant in 2011.The group is also known for its human rights activism and for advocating independence for Tahiti