While talking to one of the sing sing groups on rehearsal day, Keith along with two American friends (Surfer Jim and Bimini Bob) managed to get themselves invited to join the group for the big event. The tour guides thought it was a great idea and offered to help with the arrangements.The day began early with the guides picking the guys up at 6.30am. At the agreed meeting point, Anis from the Pougla Life Style Group Mt Hagen was waiting. We hardly recognised him without the face paint he had worn the previous day.
Dwyane, the leader of the guides, later told Jan he didn't stay long because it was a dodgy area and was worried the car would be stolen. He forgot to mention he left one his team, John, with us to help with our gear and look after us.
We were taken into the dingy, windowless changing room where the group were already well advanced on their face paint. We shook hands with each of the 20 group members plus the 5 or 6 mainly female "groupies". A couple of the guys stopped their own preparations and helped us get ready. There was an almost ceremonial approach in the care they took putting on each element of the costume. First there was the hat. A woolly rasta number filled with straw. This was carefully tied on and a decorative headband added. Next was the face paint.Black, then white, then yellow and finally red. After that came the wide belt (along, thin piece of battered bark), then the front cloth (carefully selected to be ankle length), then arsegras (Bob had to have extra added!), then armbands and necklaces. Next mud was rubbed onto our arms and legs, greenery stuck into arm and waist bands and oil rubbed into our torso. Finally the headpiece was fitted. This was made from the feathers of 3 or 4 different types of bird of paradise. We looked amazing!
By this time, one of the female groupies had taken a fancy to Keith. She had insisted on rubbing the mud and oil on his arms, legs and buttocks. She then asked if she could walk with him to the showground, which she did, holding hands the whole way, telling people she was his wife. She later told Jan she was Keith's wife and that he was a "fat man".
The core group we were travelling with didn't know what Keith was up to. Keith saw Patty and Chet on the bus but they looked straight through him, not recognising him in his costume.
John, one of the sing sing group, said he would be looking after Keith. This included holding his hand virtually the whole time. It felt a bit uncomfortable but it was their way of being friendly. John repeatedly told him how the Pougla danced (pelvic thrust on the off beat of the drumming) and marched (knees raised). It wasn't too difficult but he persisted on reminding him what to do.
As it happened the whities carried it off pretty faultlessly and even joined in the "singing" (which sounds like a mixture of yodeling and tuneless chanting). John and the rest of the group were delighted with their performances.When the group entered the showground a huge crowd of locals gathered round,smiling, laughing and pointing.
One of the tour guides, Michael, was so excited that white men were participating in the sing sing (and with his tribe's group) that he went around the showground telling people what was happening and directing them over to watch. He even arranged for Keith, Jim and Bob to be introduced to the Governor of the province, the town Mayor and the President of the show. After the judging was over, the white boys went on a walkabout to see the other groups. They were followed by a huge entourage!
When the competition winners were announced, there was a big cheer when the Pougla Group won second place - no doubt due, in part, to the novelty factor.
The Pougla group want Keith to go back and perform again next year but he may have to hang up his arsegras!
We were taken into the dingy, windowless changing room where the group were already well advanced on their face paint. We shook hands with each of the 20 group members plus the 5 or 6 mainly female "groupies". A couple of the guys stopped their own preparations and helped us get ready. There was an almost ceremonial approach in the care they took putting on each element of the costume. First there was the hat. A woolly rasta number filled with straw. This was carefully tied on and a decorative headband added. Next was the face paint.Black, then white, then yellow and finally red. After that came the wide belt (along, thin piece of battered bark), then the front cloth (carefully selected to be ankle length), then arsegras (Bob had to have extra added!), then armbands and necklaces. Next mud was rubbed onto our arms and legs, greenery stuck into arm and waist bands and oil rubbed into our torso. Finally the headpiece was fitted. This was made from the feathers of 3 or 4 different types of bird of paradise. We looked amazing!
By this time, one of the female groupies had taken a fancy to Keith. She had insisted on rubbing the mud and oil on his arms, legs and buttocks. She then asked if she could walk with him to the showground, which she did, holding hands the whole way, telling people she was his wife. She later told Jan she was Keith's wife and that he was a "fat man".
The core group we were travelling with didn't know what Keith was up to. Keith saw Patty and Chet on the bus but they looked straight through him, not recognising him in his costume.
John, one of the sing sing group, said he would be looking after Keith. This included holding his hand virtually the whole time. It felt a bit uncomfortable but it was their way of being friendly. John repeatedly told him how the Pougla danced (pelvic thrust on the off beat of the drumming) and marched (knees raised). It wasn't too difficult but he persisted on reminding him what to do.
As it happened the whities carried it off pretty faultlessly and even joined in the "singing" (which sounds like a mixture of yodeling and tuneless chanting). John and the rest of the group were delighted with their performances.When the group entered the showground a huge crowd of locals gathered round,smiling, laughing and pointing.
One of the tour guides, Michael, was so excited that white men were participating in the sing sing (and with his tribe's group) that he went around the showground telling people what was happening and directing them over to watch. He even arranged for Keith, Jim and Bob to be introduced to the Governor of the province, the town Mayor and the President of the show. After the judging was over, the white boys went on a walkabout to see the other groups. They were followed by a huge entourage!
When the competition winners were announced, there was a big cheer when the Pougla Group won second place - no doubt due, in part, to the novelty factor.
The Pougla group want Keith to go back and perform again next year but he may have to hang up his arsegras!
4 comments:
'Fat man' ! That's brilliant... K goes all the way to the other side of the planet, only to be called Fat Man by some random PNG totty... Brilliant! :-D S
oh my god thats amazing!! im so jealous that must have been an incredible experience. i hope u have loads of fotos of dad doin the dance in full tribal gear..i cant wait to see them
xx
Oh yes - lots of photo's and video! May have to rate it for over 16's as could be distrubing!
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