WELLERMAN Traditional New Zealand ballad 1860’s

WELLERMAN Traditional New Zealand ballad 1860’s The author is unknown, though it is believed to have been written by a sailor or whaler. While the song is often mistaken for a sea shanty, it is more accurately classified as a whaling ballad. The lyrics tell the story of a whaling ship locked in a 40-day struggle as it is dragged across the sea by a powerful whale. “Wellerman” refers to the supply ships operated by the Weller brothers, a merchant family that established one of the earliest whaling stations in New Zealand. Their ships supplied whalers with goods such as sugar, tea, and rum. "Tonguing" refers to the work done by whalers on shore-whaling stations to process the blubber for oil. This song experienced a worldwide resurgence in 2021 after a viral TikTok performance by Scottish singer Nathan Evans introduced it to a new generation of listeners. INSTRUMENTS KALA KA-ATP-CTG-CE tenor ukulele Akai MPK225 MIDI Keyboard VIDEO Camera: Logitech Brio 4K Capture: QuickTime Video Production: iMovie AUDIO Mic: Rode NT-USB Sound Production: Garageband Sound effects: pixabay.com GRAPHICS Graphic Production: pixelmator pro