Tifa Itu Bukan Racun (These Drums Are Not Poison): Wor Protest Song from Biak
aural archipelago aural archipelago
13.8K subscribers
314 views
0

 Published On Apr 20, 2024

"These drums are not poison," they sing. Before there were string bands in Biak, there was wor: sacred songs accompanied by tifa drums. Pak Hendrik Baransano explains the meaning of this narrative piece, Beyuser: "Why do Biak people sing this song? When we sang according to our customs, when we played our tifa, this was considered a "disturbance" by the Dutch, a breach in their rules. Ultimately, the Dutch banned Biak people from practicing our customary rituals. This piece is a critique from us Biak: These drums are not poison. The drums from the marim tree, these drums are from our ancestors. Because the Dutch prohibited our customs, this is our protest song."

Wor sung by the members of Biak string band Eyuser: Hendrik Baransano, Yakon Rumbrawer, Seum Baransano, Otniel Padwa, and Neles Rumbrawer.

show more

Share/Embed