Swotu Wayä

Swotu Wayä ("the sacred place of song" in English) is an area at the center of the Valley of Mo'ara with a strong connection to the rest of the Valley. The Omatikaya Clan Na'vi, before moving to the mountain range surrounding the area, built a set of instruments that are connected directly into Pandora's root system. This allows those who play the drums to access a "living memory of song", which responds to playing with additional music and light. The area has hanging orbs, colorful shells, and other native Na'vi elements. The area was used for Na'vi celebrations and storytelling, bringing them closer to Eywa.

Drum Ceremony

4K NEW 2018 Refresh - Swotu Wayä Na’vi Drum Ceremony

Footage of the full drum ceremony

A local trio of human musicians play a traditional drum ceremony, taught to them by the Na'vi, on a frequent basis for tourists. The group includes a musicologist that has studied the music culture of the Na'vi, an Earth ex-pat, and a Pandora native from the first generation of humans born on the moon. Tourists can play the drums at any time there isn't a ceremony going on or when asked by the musicians to participate in the ceremony. The musicians bring additional Na'vi percussion instruments with them for audience members to play. Performances in the area can be heard and are often responded to by the Omaticaya and other Na'vi clans, as well as banshee. The ceremony lasts around 15 minutes, including three songs and a jam session. The first two songs are named, a Na'vi gathering song called Za'u (Join Us) and Leym Ayolo'ru (Call the Na'vi Clans)

Trivia

• The Cast Members who portray the musicians differ depending on the performance, but always feature one Cast Member wearing a blue shawl, another with an orange shirt, tan vest & white headband, and another wearing purple with facepaint and a Na'vi headband resembling a Rider's Mask.