197 remembered instance, it started at midnight and finished at 4:30 a.m. When the evening is cool, the group will
build a small fire and circle close to the fire while dancing. An unusual type of celebration incorporates joy and anger. The occasion, known as sutim diwai in Tok
Pisin and korapato in Rotokas, occurs when a natural calamity has caused injury to a person, or nearly so. The joy expressed in the singsing is for the fact that the person was not killed. The anger expressed in the activity is
towards the responsible spirit being. It is intended to persuade the spirit being not to harm the injured person in any further way.
A korapato was held in the village of Sisivi. Visitors came from Wakunai, Mapiaro, Sirioripaia, Ruruvu, and Togarao. A tree had fallen and very nearly killed a man. He escaped, however, without injury. In anger,
arrows were shot and spears were hurled into a large kasava tree, hence, sutim diwai or “pierce the tree”. Following this, the arrows and spears were removed, broken, and distributed to the attending guests. A
singsing in the morning had preceded this activity and the distribution of food followed it. It is said that if the victim dies, then there is no reason to carry out the korapato. The breaking up of the
arrows and spears could bring regret because of the loss of these valuable possessions. However, in thinking of the injured person while piercing the tree, the owners are to forget their own matters.
15.3 Musical Instruments Used by the Rotokas People
There are a wide variety of indigenous and introduced musical instruments in use among the Rotokas people. Probably the most unique is the electronic keyboard, in use around Togarao. In donating our small
pump organ for use in the village, I was taken aback to see the organ ignored and a recently purchased Yamaha amplified synthesizer used at our farewell feast. The young people had formed a small choir and the instrument
was used to accompany them.
15.3.1 Aerophones
The flutes used in the Rotokas area vary in size, shape, and construction. The people have never considered them “sacred” as do many of the language groups elsewhere in Papua New Guinea. They are
described below. The utavepa pupi singsing kaur makes use of tuned sets of panpipes. The vocal singsing pieces are
pitched to match the particular pipes used. One set of pipes accompanies one set of songs.
Panpipes
The island of Bougainville, together with some of the islands of the Solomons group, are at the center of the pan pipe distribution and culture for this area. While panpipes have a wide distribution throughout Papua
New Guinea, the panpipe culture is highly developed and specialized on Bougainville personal consultation with SIL Ethnomusicologist, G. James.
The largest set of four pipes open at both ends and fastened in a single row is called pureo. A smaller variety of this kind of panpipe set is called vaakato. There are two alternate names for this set: pikaketo and
kukatopuka. These are higher-pitched pipes. The kookovu consists of two sets of three or four parallel pipes. These pipes are slightly larger than those
used in the vaakato and consequently, are lower-pitched pipes. Alternate names are misua and kootatou.
198
Rotokas musician and panpipes
Pipes for higher-pitched pipes are made from a narrow diameter bamboo found only at the higher elevations. An old set of pipes previously used serves as a guide for length and pitch. When constructing the
double row of pipes, three lengths of bamboo, with one end left naturally sealed, are cut to match three lengths of bamboo open at both ends. The second set serves the purpose of “straightening the air.”
The pipes examined were tuned to C, A
b
, and E
b
in descending order. Pipes were also constructed an octave higher and an octave lower. To get the desired length, a piece of vine is inserted into the set of standard
pipes and marked for length. The vine is then doubled in length for the deeper pipes and halved for the higher set of panpipes.
The breath is blown directly across the openings from the stopped pipes towards the open pipes. Within the last few years, a tuned set of many pipes has been introduced into the area. The instruments are
called pupi tavara or “blown pipes in a series.” There are lower-pitched sets called kukuriko koova low pitch—‘head of tree’, tasi kovaa high pitched—‘base of tree’, and ora viro harmony—‘wrap
aroundentwine’. Tunes are played on the sets of pipes which sometimes can cover two octaves. They were observed being used in church services.
Single pipes
There are at least four types of single pipes which vary in size, method of changing pitch, and mouthpiece. The first is the older traditional style and is shown in the following illustration A. Pitch is changed by varying
the number of holes closed. The mouthpiece consists of the notched open end. The end of the tube butts up against the lower lip and wind is directed out over the notch, as illustrated.
The second pipe has a more complicated mouthpiece as shown in B. By varying the amount of breath entering the hole, this pipe had a range from E
b
below middle C upwards in this order: B
b
, E
b
, G, B
b
, D
b
, E
b
, F, and G. The index finger is also placed over the extreme end, or partially so, in order to get different qualities of
sound. Although we never saw one, a Rotokas musician friend described the third type of single-pipe flute as
being open on both ends with mouthpiece orifice in the center of the pipe C. The breath is blown across the opening.
199
Rotokas man blowing wooden trumpet Wooden trumpet
The next type is the large wooden trumpet. This instrument is made from a length of carved wood. It has the same name as a type of bamboo also used occasionally, i.e., rivuto. A half coconut shell with an orifice cut
into it is fastened to the end of the wooden tube and serves as a mouthpiece. I have seen a length of PVC pipe about ten centimeters in diameter used in place of the wooden tube. The mouthpiece for this instrument was
also a coconut shell.
The one we examined was pitched to D
b
below middle C and A
b
one octave below middle C. The sound is made as with any brass instrument. The lips are vibrated while blowing into the mouthpiece. This instrument is
used to signal the beginning of the singsing kaur.
Triton shell
One last wind instrument is the Triton shell D with orifice cut into the smaller spiralled end. It seems to have only one pitch and there is no attempt to match this pitch with that of the other wind instruments.
Besides the traditional instruments described here, glass bottles are sometimes “blown” during play or in a singsing. The harmonica is used as a solo instrument and mainly for one’s own entertainment, not for
singsings.
Single pipe wind instruments used by Rotokas musicians 15.3.2 Idiophones
The slit gong toiva, or garamut in Tok Pisin, provides the rhythm accompaniment for singsings. Mention has already been made of its importance in communicating coded messages, also. Not as many slit gongs are
seen in villages today as in the past.
200 The large hollowed-out log may be from two to three meters in length. The inside is cut or burned out and
the lip is tapped with a pole to produce the sound. The performer usually follows the rhythm and tempo of the wooden trumpets and panpipes.
The slit gong or toiva
Sticks are also used for marking the beat. They may be hit together or rapped across a length of bamboo which adds considerable volume.
Another idiophone is the bamboo mouth harp kovokovo or jews harp, which produces sound from its own elastic constituent material. This instrument is played in the Rotokas and Keriaka areas of Bougainville
and as far north as Selau. Bamboo is slit in such a way as to leave a narrow strip which vibrates when an attached string is tugged. The vibrations echo in the open mouth and the characteristic of the sound is changed
by varying the volume of the mouth buccal cavity.
A favorite story about the mouth harp is told by Ka.: Once there was a man nicknamed sualek sore leg because he had a very smelly sore on
his leg. The women of the village would have nothing to do with him and, in particular, the woman he loved scorned him whenever he came near by.
He became so upset about this that he took off one day into the bush by himself. He was not going in any particular direction and soon it began to rain. He sheltered under a kanu
tree, feeling very depressed. A masalai spirit [Iso] in the tree looked down and saw him. To cheer him up, the spirit
began playing his susap Jew’s harp and the sad man below heard the beautiful music that he had never before experienced. “Where does that noise come from”, he shouted. He looked
everywhere, but could not find anyone playing an instrument. In frustration, he kicked the side of the tree and the masalai dropped his susap onto the ground.
The sad man picked up the harp thinking, “What is this?” He twanged it against his mouth and made a beautiful sound just like the masalai had made. He could play three notes
and he was very pleased with it. He went back to his village and locked himself in his hut. When all the people were in
the gardens except the girl he loved, he took out his harp and began to twang it. “What’s this beautiful sound?” said the girl. “I must go and look for it.”
She looked everywhere and finally came to sualek’s house. “It can’t be coming from old sualek, surely”, she said. But she looked in one of the windows and there he was playing a
strange instrument from which the noise was coming. She leapt in the window and came to him. “I love you now because of this strong magic
you brought back from the bush”, she said. “What about my sore leg?”, he asked her. “I don’t mind about that anymore, you are a big man now”, she said. And the two lived happily
ever after Bougainville Copper Limited n.d..
201
Bamboo mouth harp 15.3.3 Membranophones
The kundu, as this drum is known in Tok Pisin, or raraava tou, is made from a section of the trunk of the raraava tree, which has been carved to an hour-glass shape. The two ends are hollowed out by cutting and
burning, and a skin, usually lizard, is stretched over one end. Beads of beeswax are applied to tune it. These instruments are common in most parts of Papua New Guinea, as are the slit gongs.
A modern version of this instrument is made by stretching a large, flat piece of rubber inner tube over an open end of a four-liter kerosene drum. This is tapped with a short stick and has a soft mellow sound. The
drum in Togarao was heard being used to accompany a small singsing, but not for a celebration. Its sound does not carry far.
15.3.4 Chordophones
