Daru music workshop, 9-19 April 2013: The songs
As I said in the previous post, the participants in the music workshop chose a contemporary, "Western praise band" style as the template for the new Christian songs they composed. But even within that style there was a bit of variety. Here are three of the songs from that week.
1A002 (Kiwai language; based on Luke 5:1-11)
Duwo ipi tuturu nodobiro moro basabasa
Woi woi namu dorairo mo basabasa
Mo basabasa irisina paie
[All night long I've been fishing
All night I caught nothing
My net had no fish]
Duwo ipinudu airoguroi rowarosago
Iesu oro owerai nomidairumo mo basabasa
Tumodi baraitoi niberisia
Keriso, keriso monu unae
[From midnight to morning
Jesus, we grab your Word.
Throw the net on the right side]
Aino mudorairo mobasabasa
Mobasabasa keriso
Irisnarudoi worosuti
Keriso, keriso monu unae
[I'm starting to pull the net
It is now full of fish]
1A010 (Kiwai language)
Buaraigo Iesu
Roro gama diamo
Roro gama diamo
Buaraigo
Roro gama diamo
[This song uses traditional instruments and guitar to create a distinctive and reverent soundscape. It says "Jesus, this is the sound of your kundu." It is a response of gratitude for music as a gift from God, an offering of the instruments back to God in worship.]
1A012 (Kiwai language; the Magnificat of Mary, Luke 1:46-55)
Maria aime garogo gibo moro urio
Ro buaraigo airemaributi
[v. 46 "My soul magnifies the Lord"]
Iesu-e-e-e Iesu-e (2x)
Iesu buaraigo ie
God moro kowitorai dubuwe, moro urio ro
Samogo oiti nougido
[v. 47: "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior"]
Other than the songs, what do participants take from a workshop like this? My hope is that people will understand more clearly the place of culture--including music and language--in the kingdom of God. I hope that in the workshop I can give people at least a glimpse of the possibility that God does not intend all people in the world to eventually become like Westerners. I'm well aware of the attractions of the West to a Papua New Guinean villager, and much of Papua New Guinea is set on a trajectory toward increasing westernization. Little workshops I do here and there won't change that very much. But before traditions are gone beyond recall, I want people to have at least a brief opportunity to think about what they have inherited, play with it, even hybridize it with Western musical forms and instruments. I would really like people to understand that their histories and traditions are not wholly evil, but that cultural redemption, and appreciation of and gratitude for what they've received from their forebears, is possible.
In the Daru workshop, I was very happy to hear participants giving testimonies in the second half of the week, sharing about how much what they were learning in the course was effecting their thinking about their cultures and about Christian worship. One older gentleman, who used to be a village songleader but had given up much of it when he became a Christian, said, "We used to have songs praising animals. We worshiped birds. But now we understand that we were worshiping the creation. We know that we need to worship the creator."
Another way that the influence of the biblical perspective on music and worship and culture was evident was in the spirit of unity that was consistently present. The Kiwai speakers said that there is a Kiwai songbook, but that only some Kiwai churches use it. Their dream is to make a new songbook, combining some of those songs with songs from the workshop, and make sure that all of the churches will be happy to use the new book. Another person told me that he was so excited about what he'd learned that he is already planning to get all of the pastors in his area together for a conference where he'll share with them what he's learned in the workshop. I was encouraged to see people so enthusiastic about the workshop content that they want to share it and spread the benefit around as widely as possible. I hope the mere seven days of the workshop will continue to benefit an ever-widening circle of people in Western Province and beyond.
1A002 (Kiwai language; based on Luke 5:1-11)
Duwo ipi tuturu nodobiro moro basabasa
Woi woi namu dorairo mo basabasa
Mo basabasa irisina paie
[All night long I've been fishing
All night I caught nothing
My net had no fish]
Duwo ipinudu airoguroi rowarosago
Iesu oro owerai nomidairumo mo basabasa
Tumodi baraitoi niberisia
Keriso, keriso monu unae
[From midnight to morning
Jesus, we grab your Word.
Throw the net on the right side]
Aino mudorairo mobasabasa
Mobasabasa keriso
Irisnarudoi worosuti
Keriso, keriso monu unae
[I'm starting to pull the net
It is now full of fish]
1A010 (Kiwai language)
Buaraigo Iesu
Roro gama diamo
Roro gama diamo
Buaraigo
Roro gama diamo
[This song uses traditional instruments and guitar to create a distinctive and reverent soundscape. It says "Jesus, this is the sound of your kundu." It is a response of gratitude for music as a gift from God, an offering of the instruments back to God in worship.]
1A012 (Kiwai language; the Magnificat of Mary, Luke 1:46-55)
Maria aime garogo gibo moro urio
Ro buaraigo airemaributi
[v. 46 "My soul magnifies the Lord"]
Iesu-e-e-e Iesu-e (2x)
Iesu buaraigo ie
God moro kowitorai dubuwe, moro urio ro
Samogo oiti nougido
[v. 47: "My spirit rejoices in God my Savior"]
Other than the songs, what do participants take from a workshop like this? My hope is that people will understand more clearly the place of culture--including music and language--in the kingdom of God. I hope that in the workshop I can give people at least a glimpse of the possibility that God does not intend all people in the world to eventually become like Westerners. I'm well aware of the attractions of the West to a Papua New Guinean villager, and much of Papua New Guinea is set on a trajectory toward increasing westernization. Little workshops I do here and there won't change that very much. But before traditions are gone beyond recall, I want people to have at least a brief opportunity to think about what they have inherited, play with it, even hybridize it with Western musical forms and instruments. I would really like people to understand that their histories and traditions are not wholly evil, but that cultural redemption, and appreciation of and gratitude for what they've received from their forebears, is possible.
In the Daru workshop, I was very happy to hear participants giving testimonies in the second half of the week, sharing about how much what they were learning in the course was effecting their thinking about their cultures and about Christian worship. One older gentleman, who used to be a village songleader but had given up much of it when he became a Christian, said, "We used to have songs praising animals. We worshiped birds. But now we understand that we were worshiping the creation. We know that we need to worship the creator."
Another way that the influence of the biblical perspective on music and worship and culture was evident was in the spirit of unity that was consistently present. The Kiwai speakers said that there is a Kiwai songbook, but that only some Kiwai churches use it. Their dream is to make a new songbook, combining some of those songs with songs from the workshop, and make sure that all of the churches will be happy to use the new book. Another person told me that he was so excited about what he'd learned that he is already planning to get all of the pastors in his area together for a conference where he'll share with them what he's learned in the workshop. I was encouraged to see people so enthusiastic about the workshop content that they want to share it and spread the benefit around as widely as possible. I hope the mere seven days of the workshop will continue to benefit an ever-widening circle of people in Western Province and beyond.
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