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TABARAN
TABARAN
THE KIAP SONG
PILA PILA
SING SING
RAIN
FEAST
BOYS ON THE BEACH
BLACKWATER
ABEBE
LAPUN MAN
UP IN THE MOUNTAINS
AZEHE
CALL ACROSS THE HIGHLANDS
FUNERAL CHANT
Tabaran
We went to Rabaul, Papua New Guinea in July 1988 following an invitation from Greg Seeto, the manager of Pacific Gold Studios, to record in his studio with some local musicians who frequently recorded there. "Tabaran" is the result of these recordings.
Some of the recordings are NDW songs that could fit on any other NDW album. Their lyrics and feel however reflect time spent in PNG. Other pieces are Papua New Guinea songs, both contemporary and traditional. The arrangements have been augmented by our instrumentation. The rest of the songs are collaborations, jointly composed by ourselves and the Pacific Gold musicians.
"Tabaran" is not a representive album of Papua New Guinea music nor is it anthropological. It is merely the result of a 6 week "get together" between six musicians from Melbourne and a variety of musicians who reside in or near Rabaul on the northwest tip of New Britain island. It was an exciting adventure and a wonderful experience, totally different from anything else we'd done as a band before. We hope you enjoy it.
- Not Drowning, Waving
TELEK lives in Raluana village, about ten miles out of Rabaul on the Kokopo (beach) road. This is the village that PNG's prime minister Rabbie Namiliu comes from. Telek lives in the village which is unusual as most of the other successful Rabaul musicians we met lived in the town. It is said that when Telek was a child he ate a special buai (betel nut) which enables him to receive stories for the village in his dreams,which provide the lyrics for his songs. Abebe a song about butterfly spirits and Tabaran, about an evil spiritare two of these songs. Telek is involved in three different musical projects; Painim Wok (one of the most popular PNG rock bands), The Moab Stringband in which he sings, and his solo recordings. All the young bands in Rabaul cover Telek's songs and most of the kids know the songs word for word-he's quite a pop star in the PNG sense. Whenever we'd go to the market with him the locals would wave and whisper. The songs we've written or recorded with Telek have perhaps been the most successful collaborations due to his fluency with the recording process. Telek would never be found without wearing his peaked cap, turned up at the front.
TABARAN is a Kuanuan word spoken by the Tolais people who live in and around Rabaul. A Tabaran is a powerful spirit whose influence affects all the Tolais people. The spirit has its own special dance and rhythm which is performed at local ceremonies and sing sings.
TABARAN
Barturana amur ga kiki guvai ati, Mara tinata natabara go ati
Iga manga burut tuna ra pakai vevet
Two brothers sit together in the jungle talking about evil sprirts and they got scared.
U U U iwarvatut warwarvatut
I'm scared, my skin is tingling with fear.
Inga ngala na ra marum go ati, Atinata iga vana boko iat ati
Mara lavur mangamangana wakilang ati
It is midnight and they still talk while the strange sounds emanate from the jungle.
U U U iwarvatut warwarvatut
I'm scared, my skin is tingling with fear.
Turagu igat biti bea go ra mangana taim
Itale pi data gire tamagit
Navana rikai pire dat ati
Older brother say because they are discussing evil spirits,
then it is likely a real spirit will visit them.
U U U iwarvatut warwarvatut
I'm scared, my skin is tingling with fear.
Iga manga burut tuna ra pakai vevet
Go ra umana tinata Iga, waburat avet
Aveta warbaiai tago, itarmarum
Younger brother gets very scared about this and suggests
that they both leave the jungle and head back to the village.
U U U iwarvatut warwarvatut
I'm scared, my skin is tingling with fear.
Ba avega kiki angala navuvu
Iga vana rikai dari ra tutana
Iga vana rikai dari ra tutuna.
Suddenly a great wind blows upon them,
then they see the wind forming a human shape which is the evil spirit.
U U U iwarvatut warwarvatut
I'm scared, my skin is tingling with fear.
Iga manga burut tuna rapakai vevet
Go ra umana tinata iga waburut avet
Aveta vana bar dave tago itar marum.
They are both very scared and the older brother says to the younger one
not to worry because he has special powers to protect them from the spirit.
U U U iwarvatut warwarvatut
I'm scared, my skin is tingling with fear.
Telek : vocals
Russel Bradley : drums, garamuts
David Bridie : piano, keyboards
Tim Cole : drone
Rowan McKinnon : bass
John Phillips : guhar
James Southall : congas, garamuts
A KIAP was a term for an expatriate Australian patrol officer in pre-independance days (1975). but is now still used to refer to "expats" in some form of authority. ie: Government Officers, plantation owners and businessmen.
THE KIAP SONG
The Strong Chimbu man looks straight ahead.
He hears his masta's voice, he's lost his nerve again.
The kiap shouts, the big buffoon
he yells his orders through the coffee trees.
That's the way it's done up here yeah,
the boss, the boys, the fight up here
that's the way it's done up here.
The hot nights roll on endlessly.
His face is crushed from twenty years of drink.
And the Townsville men all own plantations here.
They drink at the club with their Philipino brides.
That's the life they have up here,
the labour's cheap and strong up here, that's the way it's done up here.
And the coffee bean stench fills the air.
The heat falls off his brow.
And they've worked the fire since morning time.
For a lousy three kina a day, well that's all . (tasol)
That's the way they're paid up here,
The boss, the boys, the fight up here,
that's the way it's done up here.
Russel Bradley : drums, percussion ,
David Bridie : piano, keyboards, vocals
Rowan McKinnon : bass
John Phillips : acoustic guitar
James Southall : congas, percussion
Penny Hewson : vocals
PILA PILA David had this lazy Penguin Cafe Orchestra meets Laurel and Hardy piano melody and some happy, tropical lyrics about Pila Pila. Russel added a rhythm on his new instrument, the fridgaphone - a spoon rattling over a metal refridgerator shelf. The Moab guys came down to the studio from Kokopo and laid down the stringband parts - the bass string guitar interweaving between the chords, the ukelele belting a double time and Telek harmonising. The guitar tuning was a bit of a problem - all the guitars are in village condition - old rusty strings and forks for machine heads - but that’s the stringband flavour.
PILA PILA
And we lie beneath the kulau tree,
The warm Pila Pila breeze blows thru
As we're gazing out to sea.
Ples bilong yumi.
We all laugh, throw little Ludwig to the sea.
He bubbles up and his smiling face,
you know it’s staring back at me...
Yeah we dance, and the kids all sing along.
The clouds are coloured mauve and red
We all watch the sun go down... and down
And we're here, the Moab boys just strum along, let's go.
Flying fish, they go soaring through the air
And the Ratung people party round
And we all just sing along
They're happy so are we,
Got a carton of S.P.
And they're happy so are we.
N.D.W.
Russel Bradley : fridgaphone, hi hats
David Bridie : piano, vocals
Rowan McKinnon : acoustic guitar, bass
James Southall : cabassa
Helen Mountfort : cello
Hope Csutoros : violin
MOAB STRINGBAND
George Telek : backing vocals
Mosly Wanaot : lead guitar
Minies Bilak : rhythm guitar
Kaul Wartir : rhythm guitar
Wargi Pindiat :bass guitar
Keni Wartir : ukelele
SING SING We promise this is the last time we'll ever record this song. Honest! A Sing Sing is a festival of music, dance and feasting.
Raymond Onio, Mai Nohime, Singebe Boowe, Yaki Tazino, Terry Teonte : highland vocal chants, bamboo flutes
Russel Bradley : drums, garamut
David Bridie : keyboards
Tim Cole : stray broom
Rowan McKinnon : garamut
John Phillips : guitar
James Southall : congas, garamut
Craig Harneth : additional sampling
In RABAUL, the mornings are calm and still. It's still the best time to do anything vaguely active. The heat turns you into a sloth. In the evenings you have a few SP lagers and dance... At night, large, weird and colourful insects congregate around the outside lamp. The smell of fermenting cocoa hangs in the air; a lush chocolate smell. And the palm trees, planted everywhere, planted in straight rows on the plantations, or growing wild on the foreshore. Palm trees everywhere.
RAIN
When it rains,
smell the scent in the air,
then the sea softens down
and the water drips down
from my hair,
When it rains, well you know
that it comes down,
... comes down in my head.
Out to sea an outrigger sails by,
the lone fisherman balanced,
he watches for movement below.
Out to sea it is calm, to the islands
the waves gently fall
... so do we.
When I sleep, hear the insects at night.
All the dogs scream in circles,
the rotating fans spin around.
When I sleep I keep turning,
the sweat trickles down on my face,
... oh the insects at night
Russel Bradley : drums
David Bridie : piano, vocals
Tim Cole : tapes of insects
Rowan McKinnon : bass
John Phillips : guitar
FEAST This piece is a traditional feast song from the southern part of Bougainville. The boys were all music students at the Keravat National High School, boarders, from Bougainville. (500km to the east of Rabaul). They played panpipes of various sizes: (from the smallest to the largest) kinne-kinne, kireng, botohi, nasikaku. Each instrument has two rows of bamboo pipes tied together with twine. One played a larger bass panpipe called a kavaronta with four bamboo pipes, the largest about 2 feet in length. We later added a keyboard bed, drums and guitar sounds over the flutes following the chord patterns ol the bass flute.
The Pan Pipe Boys are:
William Karanta : bass pan pipe
Gregory Kungka : bass pan pipe
Herman Kogiau : lead
Joshua Uramo : lead
Martin Kewari : lead and vocals
Peter Konala : lead
John Bunsip : lead
Simon Auwai : lead and vocals
Patrick Kirah : lead
Joachim Lummani : lead
Daniel Kameketa : lead
Russel Bradley : drums
David Bridie : keyboards
John Phillips : guitar
BOYS ON THE BEACH This song was recorded at dusk on the Pila Pila around a small fire with a tape recorder. The six boys were from the local Ratung village, singing local pop songs by Painim Wok (Telek's band).
BLACKWATER
Angwi's fled his mountain home, the soldiers, as they burnt his village down, near the border line:
He's left the card games by the village fire, the stories that his uncle told, the stories old, the spirits past.
He's seen the land taken away and given to the Java men, they've flown them in from distant lands.
Angwi fears for his people's songs, the nights they danced the valley strong: the hunting grounds, steep mountain side.
slash and burn
The sparks fly high and burn his eyes
He cries in haste and strikes the sky
He runs like hell, the sky is black
They're burning out, the mountains rise.
The border lines, snake river line
The valley is strong, red red burn.
Indonesian soldiers underneath their red berets
Fire shots into the hills, burn the village homes.
Striking out the O.P.M., the rebels hiding in the hills
They're waiting for their time, when maybe they'll return
slash and burn
The sparks fly high and burn his eyes
He cries in haste and strikes the sky
He runs like hell, the sky is black
They're burning out, the mountains rise.
The border lines, snake river line
The valley is strong, red red burn.
West Papua, West Papua, Free West Papua
One People One Soul, One People One Soul
One People One Soul, One People One Soul
Russel Bradley : drums, percussion
David Bridie : piano, keyboards, vocals
Tim Cole : tapes
Rowan McKinnon : bass
John Phillips : guitar
James Southall : bongos, congas
Penny Hewson : vocals
"In 1969. in an event referred to by Indonesia as the 'Act of Free Choice' (Perpera). 1,022 delegates appointed by the Indonesian government to represent all the people of Irian Jaya "voted" to become formally part of the Indonesian
Republic" Robin Osborne (author)
"... the traditional ties among the border villages in the northern sector have not changed since the white men declared an invisible border line... A good number of the current refugees... have run this way with the natural inclination to seek family refuge. It must be shocking, and many families around Vanimo have expressed as inhuman, to see blood relatives being jailed or being held at camps." Andrew Komboni (Sandoun Premier. PNG)
"I had to make the grave decision to lead my people away from our traditiotial land, into PNG. The journey was done in secret and it took a week. We scavenged for food along the way and avoided being noticed by red berets of the Indonesian Army. My people and I fled from our ancestral home because of increased Indonesian military presence and their brutal process of colonisation that threatened to wipe out our cultural identity as a Melanesian people". Magdalene Hamadi (refugee)
For more information contact: Australia-West Papua Association P.O. Box 1148 Collingwood Victoria 3066
STRINGBAND music is the most widespread style of music in PNG. Through every town you can hear stringband tapes blaring from the speakers inside the clothing, food and music shops. Most villages have their own stringband which sing songs in the local dialect (tok ples) about village issues and events. Many of the stringbands have released a cassette or two of their songs through the local recording studios. There are hundreds to choose from. Because many sing in their own tok ples, cassettes don't normally sell very well outside their own province. However the Moab Stringband, who sing songs in their Tolais language sell quite a lot of cassettes outside Rabaul.
Acoustic guitars were introduced to PNG by the missionaries who had worked the Polynesian islands such as Hawaii and Tonga. The nationals were taught to play the church songs on the acoustic guitar and both this singing and guitar playing is evident in Stringband music. Recently, rock, pop and country and western influences through radio and the various PNG rock bands have also filtered into Stringband music.
ABEBE
Uuu raura bebaik mutar
Pukai Loop Mara Tulungei Dir
Abebe Warpi Lan Eie
Two butterflies representing spirits
of my ancestors fly over me the magic man
Uuu raura bebaik mutar
Pukai Loop Mara Tulungei Dir
Abebe Warpi Lan Eie
Two butterflies representing spirits
of my ancestors fly over me the magic man
Akamana ra valian mur pukai
Ialir abebe warpi lan eie
They fly to the beach and over the sea
so far away they cannot be seen anymore
Uuu raura bebaik mutar
Pukai Loop Mara Tulungei Dir
Abebe Warpi Lan Eie
Two butterflies representing spirits
of my ancestors fly over me the magic man
Uuu raura bebaik mutar
Pukai Loop Mara Tulungei Dir
Abebe Warpi Lan Eie
Two butterflies representing spirits
of my ancestors fly over me the magic man
Akamana ra valian mur pukai
Ialir abebe warpi lan eie
They fly to the beach and over the sea
so far away they cannot be seen anymore
MOAB STRINGBAND
Telek : vocals
Mosly Wanaot : lead guitar
Minies Bilak : rhythm guitar
Kaul Wartir : rhythm guitar/vocals
Wargi Pindiat : bass guitar
Keni Wartir : ukelele
N.D.W.
Russel Bradley : percussion
David Bridie : piano, keyboards, backing vocals
Rowan McKinnon : acoustic guitar, bass
John Phillips : guitar
James Southall : bongos
LAPUN MAN The choir members live in Matupit Village which is located 500 metres from the base of the still active Matupit volcano which half destroyed Rabaul in the 1937 eruption. In 1988 Rabaul survived a "stage 3" alert as vulcanologists predicted another eruption which failed to eventuate. Minor tremors are a common occurrence. For the song, David wrote the words and part of the melody after hearing an old Tolais man reminiscing about the occupation of Rabaul during wartime. Gideon and Dick translated it into pidgin, and arranged the four part harmony, which they then recorded. The choir was also about to record an album of chorals for Christmas - a big seller in Rabaul.
LAPUN MAN
Lapun man, lapun man
Yu olsem wanem yu ai wara na ting-ting,
long ples bilong yu.
Ting-ting long war na mauden pairap.
O-Matupit e pairap,
Mi lukim simuk wantem siton
antop tru long kilaud bekpela poret tru
Yo yo Rabaul I pas pinis i bel sori
Rabaul I bagarap long tudak.
Ting ting long war na mauden pairap.
Ol wait man, China man, barata
Yu olsem wanem yu guria
Sanap tingting long ronawe.
Ting ting pikinini nameri
Ol I go pas pinis long Australia
Pretim ol siapan pretim ol soldier
Yo yo Rabaul basis I pas pinis - ibel sore.
I sol wara i pulap tru long warship
Bomb pairap ol man I dai nating.
MANUPIT CHOIR
Gideon Nakikus
Wesly Uradok
Alfred Mangut
Rokus Madao
Kuak Madao
UP IN THE MOUNTAINS
Up in the mountains, up near the border,
masked wooden faces, the tribes in the rain.
And the words from the elders ring out through the valley,
right through the seams of his face, the bones of his teeth.
Take them all away, take them all away.
Up in the mountains, up near the border,
there’s souls for the saving, the missionaries gleam.
Souls for the saving, Souls for the saviour,
dress them in white clothes, to greet the Lord.
Take them all away, take them all away, away, away.
Russel Bradley : drums, percussion
David Bridie : piano, keyboards. bell, vocals,
Rowan McKinnon : bass
John Phillips :guitar
James Southall : shakers, percussion
Amanda Brotchie : vocals, wooden fish
Maurice Lacy : bongos
Warren Siebert : extra toms
Tape of rocks by Les Gilbert, Horns provided by the delightful sounds of the Balwyn United Cricket Club Brass Ensemble
AZEHE (Az-e-hey ) The garamut drums were recorded on a 4 track recorder on Ponam Island, a small reef island north of Manus and home to about 200 people. The drummers from Ponam are held in high regard around the Manus province. Six garamut drummers play as an ensemble with one main drummer signalling changes to the rhythms and pointing out where the piece ends. Most of the pieces are quite short, about one minute in length. The drums vary in size and sound. The bass garamut is about 2 metres long, suspended vertically from a tree and played standing up. The older men are the master drummers on Ponam and play at all the important ceremonies. But surrounding them when they play are all the young boys who sit in the sand and try to keep up. The tapes were brought back to Australia where we layered keyboards, shakers and effects in the studio, keeping in mind the small atoll feel of Ponam Island.
PONAM GARAMUT DRUMMERS
Hubert Papei : lead garamut
Alphonse Kawei : garamut
Gregory Soho : garamut
Charles Lamun : bass garamut
Paul Randrapaii : garamut
Russel Bradley : Swirley cabaca
David Bridie : keyboards
Tim Cole : tapes
Rowan McKinnon: guitar
CALL ACROSS THE HIGHLANDS
Raymond Onio : bamboo flute
Mai Nohime : bamboo flute
Singebe Boowe : bamboo flute
Yaki Tazino : bamboo flute
David Bridie : piano, keyboards
John Phillips : guitar
FUNERAL CHANT
This song is a traditional funeral chant from the Oro province. The nut shakers are tied around the ankles of the dancers who stamp their feet in unison.
Digby Holeong : chant
Kennedy Toliman : chant
Fabian Tadoi : chant
Russel Bradley : foot shakers, claves
David Bridie : piano, keyboards, chant
Rowan McKinnon : chant
John Phillips :guitar
James Southall : foot shakers, palm broom, humdrum, claves
Recorded at Pacific Gold Studios Rabaul, PNG July to August ‘88
engineered by Tim Cole assisted by Digby Holeong
Post Production at Hothouse Studios assisted by Paul Annison and
Sing Sing Studios Melbourne Australia assisted by Miranda McLachlan
Songs 2, 3, 4, 8, 9 Mixed at Platinum Studios by Paul Kosky.
Produced by Paul Kosky and Not Drowning, Waving
1, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 14 Mixed by Tim Cole at Hothouse Studios
Produced By Not Drowning, Waving
Up in the Mountains recorded at Fast Forward Studios, 1986 engineered, mixed and produced by John French, Tim Cole and Not Drowning, Waving
ART & DESIGN : Russel Bradley
PHOTOGRAPHY : Philip Greenwood
PNG PHOTOS : Russel Bradley, Tim Cole and Rowan McKinnon
PHOTO OF NDW : Stuart Miller
NOT DROWNING,WAVING are:
Russel Bradley, David Bridie, Tim Cole, Rowan McKinnon, John Phillips and James Southall
Lyrics by David Bridle
except Tabaran and Abebe by Telek
MANAGEMENT : Mark Bishop Management PO Box 40 Burnley Victoria Australia 3121
all rights reserved (P) & © not drowning, waving
All songs published by Warner Chappell Music
WE WISH TO THANK THE FOLLOWING:
PNG Greg Seeto, Jim and Agnes Paliau (Lorengau), Michael Pint, Ludwig, Paul, Martin, Saimon, Snotty, Rambo the wonder dog, All the people from the Ratung Village, Max Memehere and Yaki Tazino (Keravat), The Pacific Gold Crew: Dick, Fabian, Kamit, Nelson, Lino, Harold, Pauli, Nelson, Glen, Kennedy, Kenny and Warbat; Paul and Ancilla Lokei, Polos, Francis, Ebert, Elvis, Seargent Stev~ Mohok and all the Ponam Islanders including the pikinini Rambos; Burns Philp, EM TV, Kundu Crackers. SP, Trukai, The Pacific Gold Tuck Shop, Spear, The Point After Disco, The Sea World Club, Andersons, Buai, Panim Wok, Olgeta manmeri, yu stap isi. Em Nau
AUSTRALIA Penny Hewson, Mark Worth, Kanin Casey, Community Arts Network, Owen Coney, David Ettelson, Rick King, Stuart Miller, Helen Mountfort, Philip Greenwood, Brian Cam, Rob Taylor, Mona and Grant, Robin Myers, Jaylene Farrell and Peter Shultze.
This trip was funded entirely by the meagre bank accounts of NDW and with the support of Pacific Gold Studios
For information on Pacific Gold releases write to: Pacific Gold Studios PO Box 29, Rabaul E.N.B. Province Papua New Guinea
DEDICATED TO KAMIT MAMUA
MUSICIAN AND ENGINEER AT PACIFIC GOLD
WHO TRAGICALLY DIED IN RABAUL DECEMBER 1989.
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