Interview with Sam Piniau, Malaytown, Rabaul

Description:

Tape#1: Background on Tolai Warwagira and Radio Broadcasting Service Side A&B: Sam Piniau was one of the pioneer native radio broadcasters in PNG who worked in provincial stations starting at Radio Rabaul in earlier 1960s then moved on to Kieta, Bouganville and Wewak, East Sepik before transferring early 1970 to Port Moresby working as a senior public servant as head the policy and planning unit of the National Department of Information and Extension Services alongside the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) to form the new National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC). In 1973, NBC was born, the year Papua New Guinea took the first step to independence by gaining self-government from Australia. Sam Piniau became the founding chairman and CEO of the NBC and was retired in 1979. The background of the Tolai Warwagira was a result of the colonial Australian Administration who wanted a reconciliation process and tasked prominent Tolai leaders and senior public servants in Port Moresby to facilitate a solution and peace within the Tolai people who had divisions due to political interests, conflicts and uprising and to ease the tensions between the Multicultural Council or Warbete Kivung and Mataungan Association (anti-colonial Government control). Sam led the process with a "Warmaram Group" or peace and reconciliation using the influence of information over Radio Rabaul to send the message across the Gazelle Peninsula. The key Tolai elders in Port Moresby were Paulias Matane, Robin Kumaina, Himson Mulas, Alan Tarutia, John Tovue, Bishop Fr Herman ToPaivu and Simon Puipui. With the blessing of the Australian Administration, Sam promoted with the working group to coordinate that Tolai culture, identity and heritage was the emphasis and focus for unity and solidarity. It was not from political standpoint but standing united and in solidarity as one people though cultural revitalization and upholding the sense of belonging. The Warwagira Committee was formed in 1969 comprising the Tolai elders and leaders of the Warbete, Mataungan, the churches namely Sir Ronald ToVue, Simon Gaius, Nason Kiala, Daniel Kaputin and others and launched in 1971 and became very successful as an annual event. There were various categories of competitions in traditional song and dance, guitar stringbands, power bands, gospel bands, choral and choirs with church hymns and traditional singing such as lili etc. The influence of radio broadcast in airplay of stringbands, choirs, power bands and traditional song and dance was very evident and impacted on lives of people with interest in culture as well as modern contemporary music development. Radio Rabaul had the motto as "Station blong Yumi" as people were proactive by offering their music and performances to be recorded for air play and the library was also equipped for programs such as Rabaul Hit Parade, Educational Programs and local content. Sam always encouraged in radio programming that the provincial stations should have over 50% local content in traditional and contemporary music and educational resources for schools. The radio broadcasts for traditional Tolai song and dance music had some objections by churches as it was going against christian beliefs. The intention of radio was for cultural revitalisation, preservation and knowledge passed across the communities and not to challenge belief systems. Besides songs of Wutung, Libung, parpari among others, the main church concerns was the "tapialai" songs being a sacred practice of the tubuan society. Sam maintains a strong perspectives over traditional belief systems versus the christian faith whether people are serving God as the master or satan so serving two masters. Sam was a son of a pastor in Rabaul, and in his own recognition is a traditional elder and owner of a tubuan and dukduk in the sacred Tolai society. Misunderstandings of the source of power and how to reconcile tubuan to christian beliefs is an individual choice on what is the dorminant position in one's belief systems so incorporating aspects of the two cultures for a balance position is one's attitude to spirituality. In the tubuan society there are prayers at the sacred places "taraiu" that are not satanic but determines how performance and mythology in the supernatural connections defines performance and spiritual practices. The christian belief system is a form of worship to a God of creation and introduced and instilled into local Tolai culture where over generations of existence, there were always traditional forms of worship to supernatural beings in the Tolai cosmology. Some perspective to traditional religious beliefs includes a vast assortment of spirits usually referred to collectively by the term tabaran. "Spirits of the air" are gentle and kind and their help is sought by those seeking inspiration in the composition of a new song, the design of costumes, or the choreography for a dance to be performed at a ceremony. The spirit of the tubuan lies at the heart of their religious system. The tubuan is "raised" to dance at a variety of festivals or balaguan, but the great climactic rite is the matamatam, a ceremony to honor all the deceased of the clan, when the masked figures of tubuan and dukduk (a central spirit figure of the secret male cult) both appear. At the time of the interview, Sam was instrumental in the formation of East New Britain Music Association comprising choral musicians and traditional elders such as Andrew Midian, Resin ToLop, Vincent Vinevel amongst others to progress music practice and performances. One initiative was to expand the "Buk Na Kakailai" or Methodist/United Church Kuanua Hymn book beyond the current 400 songs as there has been significant compositions since publications and was to be a project. This was then a work in progress. (Steven Gagau, January 2020). Language as given: . You can access this item at the PARADISEC website. You will need to sign up or sign in first.

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Sound

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PARADISEC Catalog

Contributors:

Michael Webb

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PARADISEC

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