De collectie

Dit Wonderlijk Werk, Freerk Kamma

For a short biography on Freerk Kamma, see the Freerk Kamma page. On this page are the tapes and cassettes which were copied for the VPRO Urubicha radio broadcast Dit wonderlijk werk of 17-3-2005. They have been redigitized and edited for PACE. The original tapes and cassettes were returned to the relatives of Freerk Kamma.
For more information or any messages or correspondence contact huublems81@gmail.com or srgales@ziggo.nl.

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Edward A. Polansky

After high school Edward A Polansky went to West Papua to study at the Administrative Institute in Hollandia and became a civil servant in Sorong and Salawati. Later he obtained leave and studied Non-Western Sociology in Leiden, in which he got his master’s degree in April 1962. He then returned to West Papua and became the controller of Teminabuan. He remained in his post during the Untea period and after the Indonesian takeover he moved to Rabaul in Papua New Guinea, where he held a position as Research Scholar in Pacific History for the Australian National University. He already had some experience in making radio broadcasts during his study time in Leiden; he made three radio programs for the national radio station Een Rondreis langs de Radja Ampat eilanden, Bezoek uit Melanesië, Ed Polansky spreekt met Jos Hay en Betty Kasiepo and Nederlands Nieuw Guinea: Oud en Nieuw door F. Kirihio en Ed Polansky. He also featured in a number of newspaper articles, among others  Naar zelfstandigheid van Nieuw-Guinea  in the Nieuwe Leidsche Courant of 28-11-1960 and “gevangen infiltranten” in the Volkskrant of 13-6-1962. In 1957 he wrote Memorie van overdracht van het district Salawati : with notes about the languages ​​of the Raja Ampat islands and about the shamanic mon religion on Salawati. 1957. He also wrote a short report on Kinderspelen Ajau-eilanden and Enkele vondsten op Noord-Waigeo in 1956.
Also take a look at: http://www.netpha.nl/netherlands-overseas/netherlands-new-guinea/manokwari-to-budapest-netherlands-new-guinea/

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Ad Delleman

Ad Delleman worked as an assistant for demographic structural research in Dutch New Guinea from 31 August 1959 to 20 September 1962. The research was financed by the development fund of the European Economic Community. He stayed on Biak and Soepiori in various places in 1959 and 1960. In 1961 he moved to Noemfoor, then to Noeboeai in the Waropen, later to the Padaido Islands and in late 1961 and early 1962 to Nimboran. Later in 1962 he moved to Kokas, Fak-Fak and Mindiptana. On 16 September 1962 the research was terminated because of the transfer of West Papua to the United Nations and Indonesia. On 1 October 1962 he left West Papua. He had already been charmed by sound recording. When going to West Papua he bought himself a tape recorder and started recording over in West Papua as a true sound hunter. He had problems with the recorder, that malfunctioned with the engine rubbing against a part producing unwanted sounds, and running too slowly and with an erratic speed. So, some of his recordings nowadays run too fast and with a too high and variable pitch. In time, he obtained a new tape recorder and he continued to record all kinds of music and events, some of which are quite rare, such as the early string band songs from Noeboeai in the Waropen and the Islamic music and ceremonies from the Kokas area. His recordings were partly broadcast by the RONG in their Dutch and Indonesian broadcasts.

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Alfons van Nunen

Alfons van Nunen was born on 8 November 1922 in Tilburg and died on 18 December 2013 in Warmond. He was a missionary, teacher, librarian, archivist and anthropologist. He entered the Franciscan order on 7 September 1940. He was ordained as a priest on 16 March 1947. He studied anthropology in Sydney, Australia to prepare for his mission in West Papua. He arrived there in 1953 after receiving his bachelor’s degree. He was stationed in Epouto near the Wissel lakes, then transferred to Enagotadi in 1955 in the same area. He conducted research in nearby Kugapa among the Moni where he was stationed in 1957 and 1958 and wrote his doctoral thesis “The community of Kugapa”, with which he graduated in 1966 as a Master of Arts at the Anthropology Department of the University of Sydney. He already wrote the master thesis during his leave in the Netherlands in 1959, but due to the transfer of West Papua to Indonesia, he was only able to graduate in Sydney in 1966. After his leave, he was placed in Hollandia where he became a school administrator and was attached to the minor seminary, later the Theological School in Abepura, where he built up a large library and archive. He was also a member of the Catholic center and pastor of Sentani in the 1970s. He returned to the Netherlands in 2004 for health reasons and went to live in Warmond.

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Freerk Kamma

Freerk Kamma was born in Wierum on 16 February 1906 and died in Leiden on 24 September 1987. He was a missionary and anthropologist. After his father had a fatal accident, subsequent to primary school he worked as a sailor on a ‘tjalk’ for shell fishing and on a motor vessel for inland shipping while he trained as a skipper at the nautical evening school. Through the  Young Men’s Christian Association, he came into contact with the mission and he decided to become a missionary himself. To be admitted to the Missionary School he had to take an entrance exam. After three months of preparation he passed the exam and was admitted to the Missionary School in Oegstgeest. It was a six-year course that lasted from 1925 to 1931. During that period, he also got to know his future wife, Maria van Dijk. In 1931 he was sent as a missionary teacher to Dutch New Guinea where Genjem-Nimboran became his first station. In 1932 Maria van Dijk also came over and they got married. Manokwari was his second posting and in 1933 he was transferred to Sorong where, as the resort missionary, he was responsible for the western part of the Birds Head region, the Raja Ampat islands and the Ajau archipelago. There he learned to speak the Biak language fluently and also to express himself in the local Papuan languages. ​​He started collecting traditional stories and objects as well.

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Arnold Ap

Arnold Ap was born in Numfor on 1 July 1946 and died near Jayapura on 26 April 1984. He was a musician, pioneer of the West Papua string band style, and an anthropologist. He studied geography at the teacher training college of the Cenderawasih University in Abepura. As a student he organised a demonstration against the fraudulent ‘act of free choice’ in 1969, was arrested and spend some time in jail.  In 1972 he founded the guitar band Manyori with Jopie Jouwe and Sam Kapisa. This group was the first guitar band that performed in Protestant churches to accompany services of worship with self-composed Christian songs based on traditional Biak-Numfoor melodies, in which the hand drum, the tifa, was also used.
After graduating, he joined the UNCEN museum of the Anthropology Faculty of Cenderawasih University and soon became its curator. He did fieldwork throughout western Papua documenting its many musical cultures, dance forms, stories, traditional craft practices and art forms. In 1978 he founded the group Mambesak with Sam Kapisa, Yowi Kafiar and Marthinny Sawaki. Arnold Ap and Mambesak developed the West Papua guitar band style of songs in different Papuan languages ​​and music styles that is now a regular part of West Papua string band music. He also started a weekly radio program Pelangi Budaya dan Pancaran Sastra on the Jayapura local radio station, a mixture of stories, music, jokes and current events. Both the group and the radio program became extremely popular in a short time all over the country. Five music cassettes and four songbooks of Mambesak were issued by the museum. But his promotion of Papuan cultures and a common Papuan identity was increasingly seen as a threat by the colonial Indonesian government. On 30 November 1983, he was arrested and on 16 April 1984 he was shot dead by soldiers of the Indonesian special forces. His wife Corry Ap-Bukorioper and their children fled to Papua New Guinea and were granted asylum in the Netherlands a year later.
Arnold Ap’s tapes are part of the Freerk Kamma collection. They were recorded by Arnold Ap and sent to Freerk Kamma.
The tapes are part of the audio collection of the foundation PACE Papua Cultural Inheritance. For more information or any messages or correspondence contact huublems81@gmail.com or srgales@ziggo.nl
For a broadcast on Arnold Ap and his influence on the music of West Papua listen to the Klankbron on the Concertzender of 27-10-2017 rebroadcasted on 26-11-2021.
https://www.concertzender.nl/programma/de_klankbron_418058/

Arnold Ap s visie. Corrie Ap vertelt over haar leven met Arnold Ap aan Frank Hubatka.

 

band 34

Arnold Ap 1

In an orange green Europa Band box 13 cm on a brandless spool with a speed of 9.5 and 4.75 cm/sec. Tape recorded by Arnold Ap and then sent to Freerk Kamma. On the box the dates 9-11-1977 and 6-4-1979 (B side) are written as well as the words Sandia, Erisam, Wongge, Inarhuo, Bejuser and Koreri which probably indicate song genres. The word Wor, also a genre, and lastly part Abonneeze (Ambonese) music are written on a paper glued to the spool on side A. On side A the tape starts with Arnold Ap introducing himself to Freerk Kamma followed by a short interview. Then follow songs, string band style, probably Mambesak with an introduction by Arnold Ap. The last song has a 2-seconds gap after two minutes and is then continued. One can hear a car horn around 22 minutes. Side B continues with four songs of which the last ends abruptly; then Arnold Ap talks about Wor and about Mambesak. Then follow a number of songs with an introduction by Arnold Ap in which he also mentions the different regions where the songs come from. Around 44’30 a radio broadcast starts with a male and female presenter, with Arnold Ap and songs by Mambesak; the last part has tifa songs, with an interview, some talk about Kamma, and some more songs, the last one ending abruptly.

Side A is 49’18 and Side B is 86’31

Band 35

Arnold Ap 2 side A

In an orange green Europa Band box 13 cm on a BASF spool with a speed of 4.75 cm/sec. Tape recorded by Arnold Ap and then sent to Freerk Kamma . On the box is written Mandaesir Wor Koreri ? Bejuser ? Bejuser-Koreri Kajob-Numfor Bujiser, Kankanes huba Rumkorem – Auki – Kadwor + Widwom 2e kant (side B) Bejuser – Manarmakardi with a line to Bejuser 1e bandje (First tape) and below Bejuser id.
There is also a reference to the different regions; mentioned are Balim – Asmat Paniai Nafri Baliem Sentani 2e kant (Side B) Teminabuan  – Biak language + guitar – Erisam Bakliem Arso – Suiangka Bamboo guitar – Ajamaroe – slamat djalam. On the spool side A is a note glued with the words Arnold Ap comments on the Wor of Biak, the birth of Jesus and there is also a spoken letter to the family Kamma on the first side.
Side A starts with Ap talking with a musician and wor and koreri songs with tifa accompaniment; after 43’00 Ap and examples of wor and traditional songs from different regions such as moutharp from Paniai Enarotali.  After 48’00 a Mambesak song from Sentani,  52’40 a radio broadcast with a female presenter, Mambesak songs, comments by Ap, and traditional songs from different regions. At 93’00 there is some classical music.
On side B is only classical music. The B side can not to be listene to.

Side A is 97’34 and Side B is 74’35

Band 36

Arnold Ap III Wor

In a blue Repeto tape box on a BASF spool, speed 4.5 cm/sec. Tape recorded by Arnold Ap and then sent to Freerk Kamma. It could be that the English pop songs at the end of side A were recorded by some members of the family Kamma.
On the inside of the box is written Wor ro Arnoldus Marisan born 1906 from Mandori Nimfori. Wor Koreri with comments of Arnold Ap and modern composition Biak.
Side A start with a solo song, then with guitar accompaniment. Ap gives comments; then two Mambesak songs follow, Wambeso and Emambo, comments by Ap and then more Mambesak songs and comments by Ap. After 56’00 minutes there are  a number of English pop songs, till the end. On Side B there are 5 minutes of text by Arnold Ap and the rest of the tape is empty.

Side A  is 77’28 and Side B is 4’51

Band 130

Ap wor 1

The tape is part of the Freerk Kamma collection. This is the same tape as Arnold Ap 1 only digitized with another tape recorder in 2005 and without the part in 4.75 cm/sec.
If you want to listen to this tape email to PACE at the above email addresses.

Side A is 48’58 and Side B is 12’16

 

Band 141

Cassette F

The tape is part of the Freerk Kamma collection. It belonged to the Oegstgeest tapes and is now part of the PKN collection in the Utrecht Archive. More about the history of this collection on the Oegstgeest Freerk Kamma page. It is a Sony HF60 cassette in the same brand box. On the A side of the cassette is a copy of Tape 13 A Wor Biak / Dow Tobati / Dow Vanimo and on the B side of the cassette a copy of Tape 13 B Beusir-mawese; ro biaksya; sibar ro rumnggobedi; Yoh. 3:16, Mnavese. Side A starts with Arnold Ap introducing himself with soft guitar music in the background; at 5’00 follows string band music, Mambesak, 7’33 sudden change, other song, 9’09 Arnold Ap talks about wor and Tobati, 13’34 Mambesak, 16’34 Arnold Ap, 20’14 Mambesak, 22’18 other track, 25’57 Arnold Ap on Sentani, 27’53 Mambesak, 29’46 Arnold Ap, 31’06 Mambesak excerpt. Side B starts with a Teminabuan tune, 0’24 radio broadcast announcement, 0’57 Mambesak, 1’41 presenter Arnold Ap, 3’27 Mambesak, 4’14 presenter Arnold Ap, 5’03 Mambesak, 5’20 woman presenter, 6’46 Mambesak, 7’05 presenter Arnold Ap, 8’53 Mambesak, 9’22 woman presenter, 11’56 Mambesak, 12’25 presenter Arnold Ap, 15’01 Mambesak, 15’45 woman presenter, 17’31 Mambesak, 18’00 woman presenter, 19’36 presenter Arnold Ap, 20’20 Mambesak, 21’05 presenter Arnold Ap, 23’32 Mambesak, 24’20 presenter Arnold Ap, 25’03 Mambesak, 28’44 conch shell trumpet, 29’03 tune with text, 30’20 added words Arnold Ap.

Side A is 31’21 and Side B is 30’48

 

Band 208

Mambesak 1

The cassette is a home made copy of the original publication by the Lembaga Antropologi Universitas Cenderawasih. It is volume 1 of the Seri Lagu Rakyat Iriani. It was discontinued by the University after the death of Arnold Ap and it was only available in the form of home-made copies. The sound quality is average with a few drop outs in one of the channels. For Side A the tracks are mentioned: 1 Akai bipa marsi, 2 Maitwu som, 3 Syowi yena, 4 Waniambai, 5 Kenate derane. 6 Nute mutajo, 7 Yapo mamacica, 8 Lenso inoni nifako. And for Side B: 1 Metemani, 2 Nuru aipani, 3 Omentaiseo, 4 Sya yamewir au ba, 5 Ina firumi, 6 Tutum dugu, 7 Na sisar matiti, 8 Ngan betap. Not mentioned is the last track on Side A.

Side A is 31’55 and Side B is 31’48

Band 186

Mambesak 2

It is an original cassette of Mambesak as it was published by the Lembaga Antropologi Universitas Cenderawasih. It is volume 2 of the Seri Lagu Rakyat Iriani. As it was discontinued by the University after the death of Arnold Ap and it was only available in the form of home-made copies, we feel free to let anyone listen to it on our website. The sound quality is average with a number of drop outs. On side A are mentioned: 1. Bimbo yesina, 2. Sorga base wali sip, 3. Awino sup ine, 4. Hindang makhendang, 5. Ine sisar matiti, 6. Tapere, 7. Yayun wambeso, 8. Nanen babe. On Side B: 1. Mame ayo, 2. Yako car, 3. Do mi dow, 4. Erisam 1, 5. Nemu ririau pai, 6. Emambo simbo, 7. Yakoa, 8. Sio Ae. But the first broken off track on Side A is not mentioned and on Side B track 6 is Yakoa and track 7 is Emambo simbo.

Side A is 30’58 and Side B is 30’46

Band 187

Mambesak 3

It is an original cassette of Mambesak as it was published by the Lembaga Antropologi Universitas Cenderawasih. It is volume 3 of the Seri Lagu Rakyat Iriani. It was discontinued by the University after the death of Arnold Ap and it was only available in the form of home-made copies. The sound quality is average. The tracks mentioned on side A are: 1. Weno, 2. Iyaya, 3. Yaimarira, 4. Hemeng Preka,  5. Arafabye on side B: 1. Swan iwanda ma, 2. Namaka nanjika, 3. Arui, 4. Ria, 5. Porea. The last track on side B is not mentioned.

Side A is 30’05 and Side B is 31’01

Band 188

Mambesak 4

It is an original cassette of Mambesak as it was published by the Lembaga Antropologi Universitas Cenderawasih. It is volume 4 of the Seri Lagu Rakyat Iriani. There were two different editions with a different sleeve and two inserts with the tracks and the pictures of the band members with a bird as head-dress. It was discontinued by the University after the death of Arnold Ap and it was only available in the form of home-made copies. The sound quality is average with a number of drop outs of one channel. The tracks mentioned on side A are: 1. Piruje, 2. Sup mowi ya, 3. Nusan singgil, 4. Kuri Passi, 5. Wanangba, 6. Syabo mutira, 7. Kemim kwambu. On side B: 1. Etob nakeb ma, 2. Airaro beseya, 3. Hasiri, 4. Nit pughuluok na, 5. Wayut lo, 6. Nonabaku, 7. Henggi

Side A is 30’21 and Side B is 30’46

Band 209

Mambesak 5

The cassette is a home-made copy of the original publication by the Lembaga Antropologi Universitas Cenderawasih. It is volume 5 of the Seri Lagu Rakyat Iriani. It was discontinued by the University after the death of Arnold Ap and it was only available in the form of home-made copies. The sound quality is average to low. The tracks on Side A: 1. Ismari, 2. Aro ero, 3. Wondama, 4. Nyah sami, 5. Any imakiko, 6. Apienim bikoro, 7. Tatamena, 8. Takinenya, 9. Atitani. Side B: 1. Roro kawa, 2. Wawato dani, 3. Airo ina, 4. Esarwau, 5. Musamaela, 6. Numeri, 7. Irsinggit, 8. Awak param. For Side A, track 2 is Wondama followed by the tracks mentioned above, Aro Ero is track 9 and the last track is not mentioned.

Side A is 28’18 and Side B is 28’38

For a broadcast on Arnold Ap and his influence on the music of West Papua listen to the Klankbron on the Concertzender of 27-10-2017 rebroadcasted on 26-11-2021.The programme was announced like this: Arnold Ap was in 1978 one of the founders of Mambesak and in the five years the band existed before Arnold Ap and his colleague Eddy Mofu were killed by the special forces of the Indonesian army they managed to make string band music the way to express the cultural pride and longing for freedom of the indigenous people of West Papua. A dangerous venture and Arnold Ap and Eddy Mofu paid with their lives while the other band members, their families and many more Papua’s had to flee and became refugees across the globe. Now thirty years later he has become the icon of Papua Freedom and his music is in and outside West Papua more performed than ever before.
https://www.concertzender.nl/programma/de_klankbron_418058/

 

Henk Woldendorp

Henk Woldendorp was born in Groningen on 27 June 1924 and died in Doetinchem 7 December 2013. He became a Protestant naval chaplain in 1951, then a Protestant missionary in Dutch New Guinea in 1955 where he was stationed in Sorong. There he became the head of the resort of the Birds Head and the Radja Ampat islands. Later he was stationed in Hollandia where he was appointed rector of the Theological School. After his return to the Netherlands when New Guinea had been handed over to the Indonesian government, he became a parish vicar in Dronten in 1964, education vicar in Amsterdam in 1969, parish vicar in Tiel in 1979 and he retired in 1986 and settled in Doetinchem. In the 1970s he was also actively involved in the peace movement.
He wrote a book about Protestant religious views based on the new theology ‘Ground under the feet’, published in 1987 by Kok in Kampen. He also wrote a number of youth stories, with illustrations by Johanna Dalenoord, that were situated in New Guinea, Read more Henk Woldendorp

Various

Tapes, CDs and cassettes recorded by various and unknown persons. The audio carriers are part of the audio collection of the foundation PACE Papua Cultural Inheritance.
For more information or any messages or correspondence contact huublems81@gmail.com or srgales@ziggo.nl.

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Jules Camps

Jules Camps was born in Venray on 20 November 1924 and died in Sentani in West Papua on 2 March1995. He was a Roman Catholic missionary. He joined the Franciscan friars’ minor order as a novice in 1944 and was ordained as a priest in 1951. In 1952 he left as a missionary to Dutch New Guinea where he worked from 1953 to 1960 in Kokonau in the Mimika area. In 1963 he was placed in the Baliem valley, first in Wamena, then in Pugima and from 1969 to 1974 in Jiwika. In 1974 he was transferred to the nearby Ilaga Valley and in 1977 to the Wissel Lakes due to health problems. After a period of leave in the Netherlands and Argentina, he returned to West Papua in 1994 and worked in the Sentani area where he passed away in 1995.
During his stay in Jiwika he started making 8mm films of important events, rituals, habits and customs. He made a total of 43 films that are also preserved by the PACE foundation. In Jiwika, the anthropologist Karl Heider from the United States stayed with him for several months. Jules Camps later wrote two reviews of Heider’s books on the Baliem, The Dugum Dani and The Gardens of War, the latter together with United States anthropologist Larry Naylor. Both were published in the journal Irian of the Institute for Anthropology, University of Tjenderawasih in Jayapura. (1-2 and 1-3 pdf).

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Herman Peters

Herman Peters was born in Venlo on 29 April 1923 and passed away in Megen on 20 March 1994. He was a Roman Catholic missionary and cultural anthropologist. After a theological and philosophical training in the Franciscan friars’ minor order, he was ordained as a priest in 1950. He then studied cultural anthropology at the University of Utrecht and at the Catholic University in Nijmegen. He received his master’s degree in 1955 with Henri Th. Fisher in Utrecht. In 1956 he went to Dutch New Guinea as a missionary and was stationed in the Central Highlands,  first from 1957 to 1959 with the Amungè in the Tsingga valley and then from 1959 to 1964 in the Baliem valley. During the last year and a half of that period, he was released from his missionary duties to devote himself completely to his PhD research in anthropology on the Mugogo, Siep-Gosi and Itlai-Hadluk inhabitants of the Baliem valley. He wrote his dissertation during his leave in the Netherlands in 1964-1965 and obtained his doctorate in anthropology in Utrecht with professor Jan van Baal with his thesis “Some chapters from the social-religious life of a Dani group” published in 1965 by Dekker and van de Vegt. It was published in English in 1975 by Lembaga Anthropologi of the Universitas Cenderawasih, Jayapura. After his phd he returned to West Papua and stayed there until 1976. He worked mainly in education for the Akademi Teologi Katolik in Jayapura and returned to the Netherlands in 1976 for health reasons. He died as a member of the Franciscan community in Megen.

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