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In
both Indonesian and Indigenous Australian cultures music, song,
storytelling and dance are inextricably linked. Stories and song
are a means of preserving a culture. The song of Keja
Lenga records the journey of the ancestors of the Kima
Ladja sect as they travelled from India to the island of
Palu’e. The song is call and response style with a rhythmic
accompaniment provided by the bells worn around the dancers’
ankles as they stamp their feet. The Keja Lenga ceremony
is performed every fifth and tenth year at the end of a ceremonial
cycle. The song identifies the ancestors and the two hundred paired
place names that document journey-these are sung by the priest
with the community accompanying him in the chorus. The use of
these names outside the ritual context is forbidden as is the
removal of the turtle cloth from the island The words of the song
are considered to be the blue print of life and community values.
The songs of a community are learnt aurally and evolve
and can change as they are passed from one generation to the next.
Ceremonies play an important role in Tiwi culture. Singing is
always accompanied by dance and new songs are continually being
created. Songs and stories are not guarded as they are with mainland
communities. The Tiwi people of Melville Island are confident
and culturally strong. They have always defended and successfully
protected their land, resisting contact with those beyond their
island. Their songs tell stories of everyday island life, of their
dreaming and of historical events. Each ceremony is structured
differently. In the Kulama ceremony (one of the 2 major
ceremonies for the Tiwi), the men sing first then the women sing
in response or in an antiphonal style. The songs are sung in unison
and are accompanied by clap sticks.
If you listen carefully it is possible to identify the
influences of other music styles on many of the tracks recorded
for the project. Darnley Island is an excellent example
of a community absorbing outside influences. Located at the eastern
most point of the Torres Straits the influences of missionaries
and the Pacific Islanders can be heard in the extensive harmonisation
of their songs. There is little or no existence of solo songs
as music making is treated as a community activity. Both the Gor
– a rattle made of halved seeds and the slit and skinned
drums used to accompany the songs have been traded on their travels
to New Guinea. The cental themes of the songs are the sea, wind-direction,
fishing, Christian faith and island life. Some of the songs were
also influenced or inspired by contact with the pearl fishers
of the 1950s. These songs are ballad style love songs which are
harmonised and have guitar accompaniment.
Cultural exchange often precedes trade. The arrival
of Islam in Indonesia in the 15th Century brought with it many
cultural influences from the Middle East. Today the people of
Gili Air are predominantly Moslem. In the recording Selakaran
you can hear the Arabic influence in the vocal style and in the
accompaniment of the gambus, a lute-like instrument. The gambus
has no frets, its strings are plucked and it appears to have evolved
from Arabic instruments in appearance, tuning and performance
style. The musicians Pak Jumli and Grup Gambus Keser
work as Kusir cidomo (horse cart) drivers by day and
have performed for boat blessing, circumcision and marriage ceremonies
for many years. Sadly their role is currently being challenged
by recorded music as the community is increasingly distracted
by the power of the popular media.
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