The Solomon Islands have been independent from the United Kingdom since 1978, and the culture, Melanesian in origin, has received international attention since before that time. Panpipe orchestras are known from Guadalcanal and the Malaita Islands, while 1920s bamboo bands gained a following in several countries. Bamboo music was made by hitting open-ended bamboo tubes, originally with coconut husks. After American soldiers brought their sandals to the Solomon Islands, these replaced coconut husks. The change occurred by the early 1960s, just as the music began spreading to Papua New Guinea.
