| Description |
Tape#1: Chorals and Musical Experiences 1950s-1960s of Eliap ToBilitaira
Side A: Early Musical Journey
ToBilitaria was born in 1924, attended Rabaul Elementary School from 1936 for 5 years. In 1940 he joined the New Guinea Police Constabulary Brass Band under David Crowley. He was taught to read music and played as the Solo Cornet in the Brass Band.
Early musical experiences in the villages was influenced by introduction of Guitars where stringbands were formed playing with ukuleles. The influences of Fijian Methodist missionaries who used chorals singing and guitars in church and community activities gave local people exposure from just traditional songs and instruments in modernising music with the Tolai people.
When the War (WW2) broke out with Japanese invasion there was a period of uncertainty and people went into hiding and lived through the wartime until it was over in 1945. Crowley regrouped the brass band members including ToBilitaria, Tokiel, Savenat and others and were issued uniforms and continued with the band performances. The band after the war moved to Port Moresby where they were based at Konedobu performing under Royal Papua Police Band (RPC) and New Guinea Police bands (NGPC).
When Territories of Papua and New Guinea merged in 1949, the RPC/NGPC amalgamated to Royal PNG Constabulary (RPNGC) Police band and continued under the new banner.
In 1951, ToBilitaria returned to Rabaul and his village of Vunamami now in his 20s'. He started the Vunamami Choir as composer/conductor and choir master. This was organised through the Vunamami Council for the area and the Methodist church community. He also got involved with traditional music of customary song and dance performances.
There were choral festivals and competitions arranged for villages of the Gazelle Peninsula and an example was the Rabaul District King's Birthday Choir Competition in 1951. The villages that took part were Vunamami, Raluana, Matalau, Nodup, Volavolo, Lungalunga, Tavui, Matupit, Kabakada, Talvat, Pilapila, Malaguna, Tavuiliu both from Methodist and Catholic church communities. ToBilitaria knew most if not all of the choir masters of these village, schools, church choirs such as Savenat, Tami, Wartovo, Tangilua, Tamean, Mamua, Matition, Guat, Teko and Tomabet. The only female choir leader was Regina Tade of Volavolo.
Side B: Choral Competitions
The choral music culture in the Gazelle Peninsula was very competitive in festivals such as Rabaul Kings Birthday (June), George Brown Day, Vunairima (August) and others organised throughout the year where inter-denominational choirs participates in from Methodist, Catholic and SDA groups. ToBilitaria's choir from Vunamami was a winner or runner up at most of these competitions in the 1950s to 1960s because of his strengths and knowledge of music as he was educated about it whilst others were mostly through advisors. His track record also caused jealousy and envy among other groups and due to the desire to win such competitions, there were incidents of insults and assaults to ToBilitaria who was seen as the consistent winner of these competitions.
New choirs came into the scene in the 1960s' who had become more competitive under a leading choir master Raboam who was trained by a musician at George Brown Pastors College and had sone success with his choirs and brought in Duke of York Islands choirs into these choral festivals. The catholic choirs from Vuvu, Kininigunan, Ulapia amongst others were becoming successful in these competition however the most successful choir winning in the 1960s' was Kambubu SDA Choir in 1963/64 and made recording in 1965 and later had a tour of Australia in that time doing their singing performances.
ToBilitaria experiences and legacy with his music was shared through teaching of selected people to read and write music so they can continue with composing and conducting in choirs.
(Steven Gagau, January 2019) |
