| Description |
Mgaing and Mumbik songs for welcoming of Sulka Tumbuan dancers at feast for mourning over the dead. They either just sing the songs or use kundu drums called Nik to mourn over these deaths. "Singsing Mgaing na Mumbrik blong singautim Tumbuan long bus i kam long ples blong samsam. Ol singsing blong sori long dai. Sampla taim bai ol i paitim kundu long despla ol singsing long feast blong dai ol i kolim Nik".
SIDE A:
Women folks from Kilalum village beating kundu drums and singing traditional Mumbrik and Mgaieng songs during traditional feast ceremony to celebrate establishment of East New Britain Provincial Government and the East Pomio Local Level Government. Mumbrik and Mgaieng songs singing and dancing can only be performed during feast ceremonies to invite and command the sacred Sulka tribe tumbuan spirit to come out and perform for the public.
The Mumbrik and Mgaieng songs were performed by the Kilalum village women during a traditional feast held in the main Kilalum village in East Pomio LLG to celebrate the inauguration and establishment of the ENBP Government and the East Pomio LLG for the first time, and more significantly for Kilalum village, the election of Paul Anis (Kilalum village Luluai) as the first President of the east Pomio LLG in 1978.
Both the mumbrik and mgaieng songs comprise so many different types of songs that are composed on so many things, happenings, occasions, events, sea, gardens, birds, relationships, deaths, accidents, etc. Mumbrik and Mgaieng singing and dancing during feasts or ceremonies like on this occasion can be an opportunity for elderly experience Mumbrik & Mgaieng dancers to introduce and initiate young girls to mumbrik and mgaieng dancing for first time dancers. The songs have to be sung in the right tune and in precise rhythm to the beat of the kundu drums, and the dancing has to be on point and in sync with the beat of the kundu drums.
All the mumbrik and mgaieng songs in this file are sung in Sulka tribe language. However, different songs can comprise other languages, especially the Mengen tribe language, or even be a mixture of songs from both languages, considering the sharing of tribe boundaries and the traditional customary interactions that takes place over time between the two tribes.
A lot of the very original mumbrik and mgaieng songs are dying out and forgotten and or generational Sulka tribe musicians and composers of mumbrik and mgaieng songs is getting scarce by numbers. So it is very important to preserve these songs that are not only very unique to the Sulka tribe, but very important for the tribe to keep them alive by sharing them with future generations.
Mumbrik singing and dancing is only perform by women folks only, unlike the Mgaieng singing and dancing, which men can also participate in the singing and dancing, especially the night before the day of the feast or main ceremony is held. Also, the mumbrik singing and dancing is perform in slow motion if you like, unlike the mgaieng dancing which is performed by women at a very high tempo and speed, called “Sess” meaning, covering a lot of area in speed dancing, in a forward and backwards (reverse) direction.
The definition and meaning of Mumbrik, relates to the type, style and actions of the dance performance itself. Especially the swaying action of the whole body, hands and feet. From a standing start with slow motion movements of the feet. The feet is firmly planted on the ground and pivoted on the back heal and is rotated on the ground in circular sweeping slow motion to the beat of the kundu drum, hence “Mumbrik” , in Sulka language. Sometimes, and for good measure, the mumbrik singing and dancing is referred to as the “road broom sweeper dance” as after a mumbrik dance has been performed, the place and location mumbrik dancers have performed is left slate and spotless clean, free of any rubbish on the ground.
Both Mgaieng and Mumbrik songs can only be performed in standing position. For the Mumbrik women form a circle with two to four leading women forming an inner circle in the middle of the main circle and beat kundu drums to lead the dancing group comprise of only women, both young & old. The selection of songs, how many songs to sing, beating of kundu drums and tempo of the mumbrik dancing is controlled and guided by the lead women standing in the middle of the circle. The women standing in the big circle hold hands in pairs or hands and arms over shoulders in pairs sing and dance to the rhythm of the beating of the kundu drums by the mumbrik dance leaders standing in the inner circle.
Similarly, for the Mgaieng, women performed in standing position comprise of two opposing sides with equal number of women on each side standing facing each other. The number of leading women for each side can comprise two to four women to lead from the front for each side. They beat the kundu drums and lead the dancing group comprising of only women, both young & old. The selection of songs, how many songs to sing, beating of kundu drums and controlling of tempo of the mgaieng dancing is dictated and guided by the lead women standing in front on each side facing each other. The women standing behind them hold hands in pairs or hands and arms over shoulders in pairs sing and dance to the rhythm of the beating of the kundu drums by the mgaieng dance leaders.
SIDE B:
This particular audio file comprised mostly Tningel Songs. The songs were composed by Kilalum village elders, husband & wife, Wankop and his wife Tning. The songs were being “Tovis” (composed & practiced) ready to be performed in public. Tningel songs predominantly refer to category or group of songs composed about sad & emotional times, happenings, events, occasions, accidents, deaths & loss of loved ones, etc. that by tradition of the Sulka tribe requires special customary feast or ceremony to acknowledge, thank and recognize whatever it is that took place or happened and the people involved.
The “Tovis” of these Tningel songs was performed in Kilalum village by Wankop (main composer) and his wife Tning as backup singer in 1977. The songs at some stage will be performed in public at and or during an appropriate and relevant ceremony in the future.
The Tningel songs were recorded by Martin Taningmal Tevlone in 1978 in Kilalum village. Tningel songs are not your kind of usual and common songs that can be performed at just any kind of feast or ceremony. Mostly, tningel songs are performed only during feast and ceremonies called “Niks” for the deaths, but not just ordinary deaths. It’s performed during the ceremonies for the passing of traditional clan leader or an elder of the family, clan and tribe that is held very highly and respected (“Teiver” in Sukja language) for the many good deeds he or she has done, etc.
Due to the significance around the “Nik” feasts and how the ceremonies are planned up to and sometimes over a period of a year, and especially because the ceremonies relate to deaths, the tningel songs are composed more on the sad side of the person (s) or events being the main focus and objective of the songs. So the tningel songs being “tovis” (composed) and the content of this file comprised a variety of sad songs composed about different things, events, loss of loved ones, deaths or simply missing a loved one living far away from home, etc. So long as it is a song about a sad happening like simply fare welling someone leaving forever and may not be seen regularly and not knowing what will happen to the person or persons or them.
All of the Tningel songs have been “tovis” or composed in Sulka language. The tningel songs have been composed on a variety of happenings, including; strong winds and really bad storms known as “Robol” or “Gousgi” causing havoc to the sea and land, fare welling a loved one leaving on a long distant journey, garden of someone that passed away, someone that passed away and even a song about the Kilalum luluai position being abolished (sad moment in time) and Paul Anis becoming the first President of the East Pomio LLG.
The main objective is preservation of the songs on one hand but also to remember and share with future generations the unique history of these very significance songs that are performed on very special customary events and occasions, namely during sad & emotional times, happenings, events, occasions, accidents, deaths & loss of loved ones, etc. that by tradition of the Sulka tribe requires special customary feast or ceremony to acknowledge, thank and recognize whatever it is that took place or happened and the people involved.
Talking about originality and copy right, this is it, pure and original. The very classic of the Suka customary traditions and D& A of its culture in the form of traditional songs and singing and dancing. The Tningel songs as contained in this file would normally be sung and performed during a feast ceremony called a “Nik”. When someone decides to hold a traditional “Nik” feast or ceremony, they have to prepare one year in advance. Simply because there are so many traditional customary requirements and stages leading to the eventual day of the “Nik” occasion. So a Nik in definition means one year in Sulka language.
The Nik ceremony and occasion is always a very moving and emotional time to remember a love one, a leader, elder, chief, etc. that during his life relationships has grace so many people, done so much and provided measured leadership of uncompromised proportions and more. Therefore, during the Nik ceremony, there will be acknowledgements in kind and or compensations by his or her relatives to those who have been pillar support to him or her during his or her entire life.
In terms of the definition and meaning of “Tningel” it simply means slow and moving sad song. Now one very significant custom relating to a “Nik” ceremony or feast. When the women are singing and dancing to tningel songs on the day of the Nik occasion to command the tumbuan to come and perform to the public. The tumbuan will appear but it will not perform or dance for the public. It will appear in silence, meaning it will come and just walk the whole length of the village and display itself without dancing to any singing and return to its hiding place, called “vrerei”.
(Paul Tevlone, May 2021) |
