Large-scale song and dance festivals in Papua New Guinea are known as Sing-Sings. As many as 100 regional, provincial, and national tribal dance groups, each with their own style of body decoration, travel for days on foot or by boat, bus, or truck to gather for these annual traditional events. Sing Sings are based on traditional large gatherings but these modern festivals were created by the government so that traditional enemies could meet on neutral territory. The first sing-sing was held in the town of Goroka in 1957. Instead of fighting over ancient feuds and cultural differences, the idea was to get together and celebrate diversity and socialize peacefully. More than 50 years later these festivals are major events drawing locals as well as an increasing number of tourists. The most well known of the sing-sings is the Mount Hagen Culture Show in the Western Highland Province.
Body decoration and adornment are key features, using materials such as paint pigments, feathers, grasses, leaves, bone, shell and animal skins – all used in creative variety. Elaborate wigs are made from human hair and plumes, wild pigs’ tusks are used to pierce noses, and faces and masks are painted in vivid primary color patterns. Each group has section of the showgrounds and sing and dance for 7-8 hours each day. (And its hot!!)
The people spend hours each day painting their faces and bodies and preparing their costumes. Many bring materials with them and source them from the forest. I particularly enjoyed watching the Huli Wigmen, the Skeleton Men, and the Mud Men get ready for their performances.
The Skeleton Men paint themselves head-to-toe in black ash, with a coating of vivid white clay outlining the head giving the impression of bones. They shuffle forward, twisted in extreme angles, presumably to frighten their enemies.
The Asaro Mudmen’s legend is that they were defeated by an enemy tribe and forced to flee into the Asaro river. The enemy saw them emerge in the dark from the river covered in mud and thought they were spirits. As most tribes are afraid of spirits the enemy fled and the Asaro escaped. Legend also says that the mud from the river is poisonous, so instead of covering their faces, they make elaborate, very heavy masks that cover their entire heads with short ears, horns, sideways mouths and joined eyebrows. They remake these masks for each performance!
The Huli are the largest ethnic group in the Highlights and are known for their elaborate headdresses. In Huli culture, when a virgin boy is around 14 to 15 years old, they can pay to go to wig school. The master and students live isolated from the community and no one else is allowed in the school. It takes 18 months to grow hair for one wig and can only grow under the master’s spell. The boys stay until until they graduate, some as long as 10 years.
32 Comments
Oh Ivy, these are INCREDIBLE photographs. Really stunning!
Thanks Rita!
Wow Ivy, I am speechless. You really should pitch National Geographic Traveler for a photo essay on the sing sing. Simply amazing!
Coming from you Karin that’s a huge compliment! 🙂
Every time I see your work…I’m inspired. Thank you for sharing your talents with the world! You are so very gifted!
Thank you Patty – so glad you liked it!
Tremendous body of work here, Ivy. It really is stunning. Congratulations on both your skill in the field as well as your post-processing.
Thanks Melisa. Glad you enjoyed it! I think you were supposed to be on that trip??
Ivy. Spectacular as usual. Love reading your descriptions. I was there in 1991 and loved the Hagen festival. Nancy
Thanks Nancy 🙂 I’m no longer surprised to discover that you have been to places many years ago!!
Photos brought back such memories to me. I was there 30 years ago and these people look exactly the same. The headdresses and the body painting are so colorful and interesting. Did you see any scarification? I remember lots of that. Such an interesting place. One of the most primitive places I ever visited, Looks like you really enjoyed!1 Thanks for sharing!
Michele – scarification was very prominent in the Sepik and I have several images in my previous blog titled “Kanganamun Village”. Wow- 30 years ago! You are amazing 🙂
Ivy, what a wonderful presentation. I agree with Karin. This belongs in National Geographic Traveler. Bravo!
Thanks so much Iris 🙂 🙂
Beautiful! Can’t add any more to all the other comments. Such talent!
Thanks so much Nancy 🙂
Fascinating pictures! Which tour group did you go with? Judith
Judith – it was a Jim Cline trip led by Karl Grobl. He is going back again this year and next – you would love it as an anthropologist!
How can I locate the trip planner and leader?
I’d like to go in 2018.
I went with Karl Grobl of Jim Cline Photo Tours. Usually booked quite a bit in advance. Write to Kat and inquire Katherine Miner
Amazing and beautiful images, Ivy.
Absolutely Magnificent photos and descriptions! Totally captivating! Ivy you truly are amazing!!!
So appreciate that Ellen!
Stunning images, beautiful words. I love seeing these worlds through your lens!
Thanks Lucy 🙂
Gorgeous colors and such a great story. You are amazing!
Thanks Georgia!
Wow, these are really amazing! Fantastic work!
Thanks Peter 🙂
It’s quite hard to imagine this culture living simultaneously with ours, same time frame on the same planet! That’s the gift of travel and sharing these remarkable images. Is it cell phones and cars after the festival or are these truly isolated communities? Thank you. Simply stunning. Love the story telling too.
Depends on which village Diane – some are still pretty isolated. But modernity is definitely encroaching.
Ivy, Karen is right. The pictures are amazing and what an incredible amount of information!