History of Music in Papua New Guinea

The Papua New Guinea music has a long record.

After the independence, the outside world knew little about the diverse tribes’ folk music genres. The first commercial produce to see an international viewer did not occur until the year 1991, when percussionist Mickey Hart’s Voices of the Rainforest were released.

source of picture: martinasblogs.blogspot.com

After 1872, aliens brought Christian hymns which include Gregorian chanting. Peroveta anedia, taibubu and ute, all types of Polynesian music, were also brought in this era. The Gold Rush introduced an arrival of Australian miners who brought with them the mouth organ.

Traditional occasions such as dance, song, feasting and gift-giving are known as sing-sing. Vibrant and colorful attire adorn the dancers, while a leader and a chorus sing a stunned approach to the same song, releasing a fugue-like effect. In the year 1993, saw television spreading throughout the country, and American renowned music continued to affect Papuan music given the dispersal of radio since the World War II. Since 1953, the sing-sing has become driven in nature, with competitions occurring in Port Moresby, Goroka and Mt. Hagen. In 1949 saw the first Papuan to gained international popularity that is known as Blassius To Una, who starts his profession.

At the end of the 70s, an indigenous recording company has emerged and musicians such as Sanguma and later George Telek began combining indigenous and western patterns like rock and jazz.