Malit Records, a recording studio comprises of three professional musicians with the aim at providing the best quality musical aid to the people of Namatanai in terms of recording, videoing, marketing, producing and providing an opportunity of live showcasing performance has formally registered and launched the Namatanai Music Festival in Port Moresby yesterday.
Speaking during the launch, an emotional yet proud and determined young musician and the Chairman of the Malit Records, Jude Nongkas spoke about the dream he and his fellow two musician John Vianney and George Amba as teenagers growing up which they have today, proud to stand before the official launching of the Namatanai Festival which their recording studio will be taking the lead in organising.
The Namatanai Music Festival will encourage and give an opportunity for the people of Namatanai as well as Kavieng to uphold and showcase their cultural/traditional songs and music with the aim at maintaining and encouraging cultural and personal values of respect, safety, growth, communication, understanding and unity when perform in live occasions.
Nongkas added that hosting the festival is one way in which the Namatanai as a district do not lose their true cultural meanings in music and songs which in many instances have been used by other regions in Papua New Guinea and has overtime lost its true cultural meanings.
“Copyright law in Papua New Guinea does not have much impact on the current dying situation of our traditional and cultural way of music abused by so many.
“Upcoming artists in this generation have adapted very quickly into the new error of music and different performing styles most of which are not ours.
“We have allowed the current generation to drown in this wave of modern and western style of performance instead of developing our own songs and musical styles to encourage culture and tradition where our belief system lies.
“Songs composed these days have been more focused on the lust kind of love oriented situation and portray shallow messages to the public integral human development,” Nongkas said.
Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture and member for Samarai-Murua, Isi Henry Leonard who also spoke during the launching said that the National Cultural Commission does not get much financial support from the government.
The Minister has appealed to other government agencies, development partners and corporations to come on board and partner with the National Cultural Commission so that together they can preserve , promote and help develop the different cultures of the people of Papua New Guinea.
The Namatanai music festival aims at:
- Restoring the cultural and traditional ways of playing music in collaboration with the current way of performing music;
- Preserve and review old ways of communicating in the society through contemporary music;
- Provide a chance for the disabilities to explore their talents and to take part in event in music;
- Celebrate the different traditional styles in music;
- Promote tangible and intangible cultural pride through music;
- Develop strategies to maintain and encourage traditional and culture music;
- Safeguard and protect the diverse musical culture of Namatanai by maintaining consistency in its nature;
- Promote , values and innovative ideas through cultural music;
- Encourage, communication, safety, respect, protection, gender equity, restriction, boundaries and unity.
The Namatanai Music Festival is an initiative of the people of Namatanai and in partnership with the National Cultural Commission.
The festival chairman further said “the festival is one way us as local citizen will play in order to achieve the underlying motto of “Taking Back PNG”.
He also thank the Member for Namatanai and Minister for Forests , Walter Schnaubelt for the support given in registering and lunching the Namatanai Musical Festival.
The event is set to take place from the 13th-15th of October, 2021.