| Description |
Tape#1: Radio Broadcaster Experiences and Tolai Warwagira Journey with Puek ToNata
Side A&B:
Puek ToNata joined Radio Rabaul as a broadcaster since the station's inception in 1962 and worked for 30 years. Puek gave his testimonial about how radio brought about development in new and modern ways, change in lifestyles through information to listeners in news, education, community notices, language, culture, music generating interest and following amongst people in the Province, New Guinea Islands Region and nationally across PNG through its programs on air.
In 1963, Pacific Islands Monthly reported that there were 11,000 requests out of 40,000 population wanted what Tolai people wanted to know and listen to their own doing.
Puek created the program "Rabaul Hit Parade" generally to promote local music hits rather than western records in the three categories of music in stringbands,traditional songs and choirs known in tok pisin as "pilai gita, singsing blong tubuna and singsing blong kuaia". There was continuous recordings in villages and requests by local people wanting their music on radio and became a competitive matter for many group who wanted air-time and air-play.
Other music of western and South Pacific especially from Samoa and Fiji were also played on air where Tolai people were exposed to through missionaries and traders in stringbands and choirs.
For the western music it was mostly country western or cowboy style such as Slim Dusty although some people who had access to gramophones knew about records like Beatles and others played over the radio.
The Hit Parade program was popular with several requests for songs over general broadcast times.
For stringbands, popular songs were from musicians like Blasius ToUna of Nodup with songs like Sigapu, fopela lek, leta blong Jack and many more. Most stringbands played 5-key, spanish style .
For traditional music, the typical song and dance such as Wutung, Warbat, Malira, Tabaran, Tubuan Tapialai amongst others that went on air and did not cause any much conflict with elders as they began to be generally accepted across the communities.
Radio also promoted the rise of power bands in late 1960s and 1970s and became a popular feature in the Tolai Wawagira known a Battle of the Sounds.
There was also a rise of social dances in "cup tea" parties when mainly the young generation meet with live stringbands and power band music and dancing such as the introduced "waltz" which despite being against culture and concerns from older people, its became acceptable later so a change in lifestyle.
The concept of the Tolai Warwagira was initiated by Sam Piniau who was with national radio broadcasting together with other prominent Tolais living in Port Moresby who were concerned about the disunity among Tolai people in the divisions of Pro-Multiracial Council with Government and the Mataungan Association Movements who wanted foriegners and colonial administration out of local affairs of the people.
Sam Piniau met with Radio Rabaul staff Puek and Paul Cox at Cosmos Hotel with the message in around 1968, 1969 to coordinate the setting up and promote over the radio for creating the Tolai Warwagira as a showcase of Tolai identity and culture heritage as a means of re-uniting its people.
A Warwagira Committee was formed to manage the event comprising pro-Council and pro-Mataungan leaders all over the Gazelle Peninsula such as Saimon Gaius, Herman ToPaivu, Vin Baining, Daniel Kaputin, John Koniel's father, Nason ToKiala and others After the first Warwagira, it was not too successful as an event by from 1970 it became an annual event and became more progressive and successful with the years of events experiences with more competitiveness in various categories of musical performances in stringbands, power bands, traditional song and dance, choirs, gospel bands and drew in participation from all over the Gazelle Peninsula, Duke of Yorks, Watom and Bainings.
The Tolai Warwagira which were conducted up to two weeks also created more recordings and broadcast materials locally, regionally and country-wide with more and more items for listeners.
The general feedback and support of the Tolai Warwagira events also generated additional funds through donations by listeners towards the annual event.
(Steven Gagau, January 2020) |
| Cite as |
Michael Webb (collector), Steven Gagau (data_inputter), Michael Webb (interviewer, researcher), ToPuek ToNata (speaker), 1993. Interview with ToPuek ToNata, Rabuana. MPEG/VND.WAV. MW6-100 at catalog.paradisec.org.au. https://dx.doi.org/10.26278/0X3K-B260 |
