Page 28 - IB April 24

West Papua West Papua

Arnold Ap (left) and Sam Kapissa founded Mambesak. Photo: Courtesy Constantinople Ruhukail

WEST PAPUANS STILL INSPIRED BY

THE HERITAGE OF ARNOLD AP

By Nic Maclellan Sistaz.
For Kareni, Arnold Ap’s work to collect and perform songs
In 1969, Indonesia annexed the western half of the island in Papuan languages played a vital role in the development
of New Guinea, through the so-called Act of Free Choice. of a West Papuan national identity, transcending colonial
As Indonesian authorities began to expand legal systems boundaries and inter-tribal conflicts. Kareni’s performance
and education in Bahasa Indonesia, a generation of young with the Sorong Samarai band symbolises this notion of “one
West Papuan intellectuals responded through a cultural people, one soul”, from Sorong in the far west of West Papua,
renaissance, recording and performing traditional West to Samarai in the east of PNG’s Milne Bay Province.
Papuan songs. Kareni told Islands Business that an important part of Arnold
For Arnold Ap, Sam Kapissa and Eddie Mofu, music was a Ap’s legacy is the way that Mambesak used music and song to
vital tool for raising awareness about human rights abuses, promote national consciousness among Papuans.
environmental degradation and the social and political issues “Their music pretty much speaks about the struggle of the
facing communities across West Papua. people, whether it’s in traditional sounds or contemporary
Their band Mambesak, founded in 1978, was the forerunner sounds – the struggle is in the songs,” he explained. “That
of later West Papuan groups, from the Black Brothers to Black was profound in the work of Arnold Ap, Eddie Mofu and Sam
Paradise. Today, these traditions are carried on by groups like Kapissa. They knew that West Papua was going to go through
the Sorong Samarai band and the Black Sistaz (the daughters an episode of dark history, where language preservation would
of former members of the Black Brothers). be so important.
Despite his popularity, Arnold Ap’s work as an anthropolo- “They understood there were diverse languages across the
gist, ethno-musicologist and musician was a threat to the land mass of New Guinea, from the islands to the west of
Indonesian authorities. He was detained, imprisoned and later Sorong and down to Merauke,” Kareni said. “They realised
murdered by Indonesian special forces soldiers, supposedly early on that they needed to collect and archive songs, so
killed while trying to escape from prison. that the younger generation like myself, and those who
This month, 26 April marks the 40th anniversary of the come after, can still listen to the songs. It acts as a symbol
death of this charismatic cultural leader. For West Papuans, in of resistance. The historical documentation of the traditional
exile and at home, it’s an important time for commemoration. songs and oral traditions recognises our identity, our history
and our aspirations as West Papuans.”
Inspiration for a new generation
Ronny Kareni is a West Papuan musician, scholar and Challenging colonialism
cultural activist. Based in Australia, he performs with the Arnold Clemens Ap was born on 1 July 1946 on Numfor
Sorong Samarai band and plays bass guitar for the Black Island in Biak, at the time, part of the Dutch colony of

28 Islands Business, April 2024