| Description |
Tape#3: Side A&B
Continuation of explanations to various songs by Blasius ToUna. His compositions and talents were developed by mentor Fr Reichel who was a catholic priest and musician. Some songs played in guitar and stringband as sung in choirs were recorded and played by Radio Rabaul and others not recorded by known to many people and listers as he performed them in festivals and events.
1. Draiva, ai blo yu stap we? - Driver, where were you looking? A policeman driving a pregnant woman to Nonga hospital accidentally hit a child crossing the road and died instantly.
2. Papua New Guinea, slow down - it was claimed by people that development of the nation towards independence was at fast pace, so meaning of the song was to slow down.
3. Bikos mi soldia - Because I am a soldier; drunked off-duty PNGDF soldiers bragging and boasting about what they do, who they are, places they travel makes them special.
4. Kundu - traditional drum instrument used as well as another bamboo slit instrument "pakupak" presented as a choir by Nodup people at Tolai Warwagira festival in early 1970s'. The choir was awarded first prize in the competition. There were other choir performances on requested songs were for events like opening ceremonies of church buildings or church mass or worship services like villages around Gazelle Peninsula such as Ramalmal and Nangananga.
5. Tutupele - a traditional instrument of 2 sticks from hard wood used by tapping or clapping each other in male secret places for chanting and connecting the spirit world.
6. 1,000 Tears - story of a woman who received a long distance phone call and crying in tears from her Tolai ex-boyfriend living in Australia.
7. Bouganville - song about the troubled times evolving in the unrest between local people and the Bouganville copper mine company.
8. Skul Bois - song about school boys in the routine student life from home, lessons and playing times during school, after school to home and resting before the next day of school again.
9. Kunai, Dumdum - song about new recruits into local Police force being taught how to match in a parade. There was difficulty in left and right legs pattern so two plant types were used tied on their legs to be identify left and right legs during the march practices.
10. Fopela lek - song about drunken driver who crashed his vehicle against another in front of him and run away into the bushes when the other driven is the bumped vehicle went over to hit him with a jack rod.
11. Aninit long kakao - song about working under the cocoa trees under the white man.
12. Wokabaut olsem pato - song about local people wearing clothes, shoes on their legs that they not used to so walking like ducks.
13. Dancing and Playing to styles of guitar - general conversations when they doing stringband performances.
14. Blong wonem yu kolim mi kauboi? - why you call me a cowboy? Song with a country western feel with the voice pretending to be Australian singer Slim Dusty.
15. Stoakipa - song about young man interested in a store keeper who was a young girl buying tobacco mornings and afternoons daily just to see the girl.
(Steven Gagau, October 2019) |
