Page 37 - Islands Business March 2023

Music Music

rated my language and cultures through music. That’s when I “So I do a lot of conscious content in my songs. I also have
began doing contemporary music through rap. Because I can’t some songs that are about being a typical Melanesian, having
sing, but I realised I could rhyme, twist and bend words. I can fun. Most of the songs are to empower and motivate the youth
speak my language fluently. I speak a few languages, obvi- to stand up and speak up.
ously English, Pidgin (Tok Pisin), Mekeo, Motu and Aroma, and “I was lucky enough to record my debut album in Melbourne
I incorporate these in my music. which I will be launching in March 2023. The album is called
“I also rap in English, Pidgin, Mekeo, Motu and Aroma the ‘Kanaka Messenger’.
languages. That’s just five out of 800 or so languages. I wish I He also works with other musicians, including brothers 3Ki-
knew all the languages of PNG.” iNgZ (Val Saint and Kamako), and hip hop producer, Rifa Vela
on ‘One Sound’; “it’s just about no matter what you’re going
Dodging the bullet through and no matter where are you at, we can all be one,
Political and social developments in PNG provide lots of ‘One Sound’. We have one mind to do what we want. We have
material for his songs. one mind, one soul, one heart.”
“Over the past couple of years there’s been a lot happen- This year Aufamau has already been to the U.S. and Mel-
ing in the country economically, socially and politically, and bourne (Australia), and will launch ‘Kanaka Messenger’ in
the people on the ground - we the simple people - feel the Australia in April.
pinch of the decisions they make at the top,” says Aufamau.
“It’s just come to the point where people were not highlight- Pacific Reach
ing that though music and songs and being the conscious artist “I have good support from radio stations in Vanuatu,” says
that I am, I thought I really have to put something out. Aufamau. “I did a show there the Fest’Napuan festival back
“It was definitely going to raise some eyebrows but it’s the in 2016. So some of my music gets played there, they support
truth so I had to put it out.” my stuff. My music gets played in the Solomon Islands as well.
Aufamau says ‘Dodge the Bullet’ was inspired by things like Last I heard it gets played on the radio in Fiji as well. I’m not
the fact there is no medicine in PNG hospitals and yet the sure if there’s a place where we can get those statistics.
government decided to spend 40 million kina on the APEC “All my music is available on most of the streaming plat-
meet. forms,” says Aufamau. “So monthly I get reports on where
“Dodge the Bullet has been really good to me,” says Aufam- my music is screened or downloaded. I get listeners and good
au. “When I did the song, I contacted another brother of mine feedback from throughout the Pacific islands as well. Espe-
called Nigel Muganawa, he is the one who shot the video. His cially the Melanesian islands. I get some love from Polynesia
profile on You tube is the Digital Story Box. So what I did is, and Micronesia as well.
we didn’t write a storyline or script. I said that we just go to “I distribute my music through online platforms, I go
the scenes and I leave the full creative control in your hands. through an aggregator called DistroKid and I pay an annual fee
Tell me where to stand and shoot. So we put it out and that’s and they distribute all my songs on all platforms.
the song that won me the Pacific Break competition in 2019, “I get quite a good living through music,” says Aufamau. “I
hosted by ABC Australia. I won the competition, I flew over have my side hustles apart from music as well. I have a poul-
with my band we played at the WOMAD festival.” try farm back home. I have shares in a distribution company
More recently, ‘Dodge the Bullet’ was shown at the Mother here in Papua New Guinea.
Tongue Festival, which celebrates cultural and linguistic di- “Being from PNG you can’t really rely on music to keep you
versity and is hosted by the Smithsonian, the largest museum, going every day. I took it on myself to have other ventures on
education and research institution in the world. my side. I do corporate work as well - once a month or twice
How did his latest opportunity come about? a month, I get good jobs and that keeps me going. I have
“The panel at the Mother Tongue Film Festival go out and especially good shows overseas and that pays for months in
research and look for short films in local indigenous languag- advance, for rent and food.”
es,” says Aufamau. “And the people in the panel stumbled Aufamau says for the past two years he has been focussed
upon my video ‘Dodge the Bullet’ because I did the verses in on completing the album. “Due to COVID I was only able to
Pidgin and the chorus in English they could relate to what the finally get back to Australia last year and we finished the last
video was all about..” one or two songs.”
Aufamau flew to Washington DC for the festival. “I didn’t He hopes to forge a path for other young musicians.
apply, it was just I’d say luck or the universe just making it “The end game is to create pathways for the ones coming
happen.” after me. So I’ll be the one to step into unknown territory, I’ll
be the guinea pig and I’ll step in and see what’s it like, and
Power, corruption and inequality the ones coming behind me know how to move about.”
Aufamau also sings about the importance of maintaining
cultural heritage (‘Pasin Kanaka’), and has recorded an ode to editor@islandsbusiness.com
his neighbourhood Gerehu (‘Gerehood’).

Islands Business, March 2023 37