Toksave: Culture Talks Jodie Kell and Steven Gagau

Following on from Episode 13, we continue our exploration of music of the Central Province, Papua New Guinea featuring the PNG Peroveta Singers of Canberra. This is a special episode where the group responds to the PARADISEC collections of IC1 and MG1 with a Sene performance of traditional songs whose meanings are explained by group members Deveni Temu and
Tommy Dietz. Sit back and enjoy the journey through the beautiful songs of the region which are also available with transcriptions in the PC2 collection or on our youtube channel.

This is the first of two episodes featuring the PNG Peroveta Singers of Canberra, a group of diaspora community members who share and perform the music of Central Province, Papua New Guinea. They respond to the PARADISEC collections MG1 and IC1 with song and dance performances recorded in the ACT in 2023. This episode focuses on Peroveta (Prophet Songs) and includes an interview with group leader Deveni Temu and performances by the group in various languages from Hiri Motu to Hula, Keapara and Mailu from the southeastern Papuan coast and over to Rarotongan from the Cook Islands.

Episode 12: Buried in the Sand: Digging deep into Gudjal language and culture

William Santo is a Gudjal elder, author and musician. Opening with William’s song, ‘Buried in the Sand’, this episode discusses William’s long-term aspiration to uncover Gudjal language resources held in archives and utilise them to rediscover Gudjal history and culture and revitalise the Gudjal language. He is joined by colleagues in this project: linguist Peter Sutton, music researcher Myfany Turpin and linguistic student Alex Anderson. Included in the episode are excerpts from recordings made by Peter in the 1970’s with Gudjal elders and excerpts of the language learning podcast created by William and Alex.

The Sutton recordings are made available courtesy of AIATSIS, Sutton Collection, item 1913A.

AIATSIS has the largest recording of Indigenous Australian ethnographic recordings. You can search their catalogue here: https://iats.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/external

Following on from episode 10, we continue discussions about early recordings made by Charles Gabriel Seligmann during the Daniels Ethnographical Expedition to British New Guinea in 1904. Deveni Temu brings his perspective to the history and context of the recordings. He is a Hula speaker who was born and raised in Kapari and Viriolo villages and who worked as the Pacific Librarian in the Menzies Library of ANU, Canberra. We hear back from Roge and Gulea Kila who share musical responses to the 1904 recordings; a re-enactment of a Leku Leku song, and a stunning Ate Ate song of lament. All three guests express the value of archival recordings for descendants, connecting the past with contemporary relevance and contributing to cultural continuity.

Excerpts from and a discussion of 1904 wax cylinder recordings from the Hula village in the Rigo District of Papua New Guinea, with Hula speakers Roge and Gulea Kila. Produced in partnership with the British Library, Institute of Papua New Guinea Studies as part of the True Echoes project.

Johnny Obed and Kirk Huffman join Jodie and Steven discussing the cultural significance of sharks in Vanuatu and across Melanesia from the SD1 collection by Simon Devylder. The recordings inspired Johnny from Simon's research on shark spirits, shark attacks and the art of sand drawings. Through Kirk's association with Simon on such recordings and research work, it motivated him to share his long experience in Vanuatu, across Melanesia and the Pacific supporting the maintenance of traditional cultures in a fast-changing world.