o-le-polotu

The o-le-polotu is a percussion board found in Samoan and Tongan cultures. It is used to accompany solo songs. This instrument is an example of an idiophone, which produces sound through the vibration of the instrument's body itself, rather than through membranes or strings. While many Oceanic cultures have developed a variety of sound-producing instruments, instrumental music is generally less culturally significant than vocal music in these regions. The o-le-polotu is one of several types of idiophones found in the Pacific, which also include concussion sticks, log xylophones, and percussion tubes.12