DAVID BRIDIE
THE Wantok Musik Foundation, in association with APRA AMCOS, has announced the inaugural Tony Subam Fellowship, which is open to any band in Papua New Guinea that has a strong element of cultural expression in its work.
The fellowship is named in honour of Tony Subam, a former member of the band, Sanguma, which pioneered the use of traditional PNG music and songs in co-harmony with western styles of music.
The winner will be the band or group which the judges believe Tony Subam would have wanted to support.
Tony had a strong belief that what is unique to PNG music is their traditional songs and sounds, that PNG people must be proud of their cultural heritage and roots, and that too much music in contemporary PNG imitated overseas trends.
The recipient of the Tony Subam Fellowship will be awarded a recording session with acclaimed sound engineer and producer Emmanual Muganaua in Port Moresby.
If the results are satisfactory, the recordings will be released on the internationally recognised Wantok Musik label alongside artists such as Telek, Ngaiire, Mogu, Airileke, Black Paradise and the Pidia Kaur Group.
The leader of the group will be mentored by producer David Bridie and former Haus Boi member and Wantok board member John Faunt to learn skills to assist the band to discover the right career path for its music.
Additionally, two members of the band will be flown to Brisbane to attend the Big Sound music conference to learn about the world music industry.
This is a wonderful opportunity for the right band to carry on the great work done by artists such as Sanguma, Tambaran Culture, Tribes of Jubal, Airileke, Richard Mogu, and many others.
To win this fellowship, Wantok Musik require a demo recording of your music, your contact details and a brief description of the band or group. Contact Amy Chapman at info@wantokmusik.org.
Top image: 'Tribute to Tony Subam' by Leonard Tebegetu (acrylic on canvas, 60cm x 121cm, 2012). Leonard writes: “This piece was born out of my love for PNG music - Sanguma style. Upon Tony Subam passing, my daughter and I watched the Sanguma interview of 1975 after which I asked her to think of happy and musical things while we painted the background together.”