Akave

As far as recording goes, Papua New Guinea’s most celebrated musician, George Mamua Telek, has never been that prolific. With only three previous international albums to his credit since 1997 (not counting his PNG-only releases or the 2007 reunion album he recorded with the Moab Stringband), his music has always possessed a mesmerising quality. 2000’s Serious Tam was a revelation and 2004’s Amette [reviewed in #32] was equally gorgeous. Coaxed back into a Melbourne studio from his remote Rabaul home by long-time collaborator-producer David Bridie (of the band Not Drowning, Waving), Telek’s go-slow pace has once again proven correct.

Singing in his native Kuanuan, English and Tok Pisin (‘talk pidgin’), Telek’s gentle lullaby-like melodies and soothing vocals retain all of their tradition-based beauty, while his more upbeat tunes preserve the lively stringband aesthetic. Benefitting from the sophisticated production that’s layered into the mix, the resulting album manages to perfectly balance respect for traditional village music with just enough technology to satisfy Western sensibilities. Bridie adds subtle keyboard washes, percussionist Airi Ingram provides evocative rhythmic structures and former Not Drowning guitarist Phil Wales contributes his distinctive soaring sound – although his jarring rock chording on ‘Iau Burut’ seems out of place here.

While Telek’s latest songs don’t break new musical ground, it would be unfair to expect a more exquisite melody than the simple ‘Wali’ or more delightful harmonies than those on ‘Lok Lok Kdul’. A remix of ‘West Papua’ transforms it into a delightful breezy reggae number, with soulful backing vocals from Aussie-based PNG singer Ngaiire.