The Jaap Kunst sound collection

It is a collection that was started by Jaap Kunst in the Tropical Museum and after his death was largely sold to the University of Amsterdam in 1963. Except for the wax rolls that remained in the Tropenmuseum, which were later transferred to the Institute for Sound and Vision, together with the sound collection of original recordings built up in the Tropical Museum since then. As far as West Papua is concerned, the Jaap Kunst collection has the following tapes (different encodings have been used for the tapes over time):

C4 AZ6

It is a tape with Dayak recordings and recordings from New Guinea. The New Guinea part begins with a series of tracks of a Brush tape recorder, an early tape recorder that still worked with paper tapes and a perforation as a transport mechanism. The recording dates from November 1950 and was later transferred to standard tapes. It are songs from Biak and Japen sung by Kasiepo. The tape was probably recorded in the Netherlands during the visit of a Papua delegation consisting of J. Ariks, N, Jouwe, C. de Fares and Markus Kasiepo. There are 7 songs of which the first 4 come from Biak and belong to the genre wor. The first song is about how the people of Biak and all of New Guinea want to stay with the Netherlands. The second song is about the death of someone who has had a lot of worries. The third song is a song with a Christian text. Song 4 is also in the Biak language and makes this clear to strangers in other countries. Song 5 and 7 are from Japen and song 6 with accompaniment of a tifa from Babar Island in Indonesia is in the Biak language and is about the fear of the Indonesians in New Guinea.This is followed by Biak songs with an English explanation, recorded on a wire recorder by Jean Victor de Bruyn. It comes also from a copy made on a Brush recorder and later converted to standard tape. It concerns 6 songs of which the first two are Erisam and Kajob. The other 4 songs are on side B. The rest of side B is filled with recordings from the R.O.N.G. The Joka choir with the finale from the 9th symphony of Beethoven. The bell song and a verse of the New Guinea national anthem. Furthermore, a number of various recordings. The flute orchestra of Ifar, followed by 2 recordings from Engros, a recording from Nafri, a recording from the kampong Mariboe, the reconciliation feast in Masoena, a song from Tabla Moessa, one from Tobati, a song with conch and the Wilhelmus by a flute orchestra. C49A tape with on side A and the beginning of side B recordings by Father Boelaars of the Jaqaj in Kepi, October 1956. The rest of Side B contains recordings by Alfons van Nunen. It begins with 3 fragments of a love song recorded in Kugapa by the Moni of the clan Zongonau in May 1957. One of these three fragments was used for the CD box set Musik aus dem Bergland West-Neuguineas published by Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin in 1993. It is followed by a song of another singer from Kugapa, then a mouth harp tune, a song of the Moni from Dogindoga, then a song from the same area with finger snapping. Then two tracks from the Ugunduni (Amungme) from the Tsingga valley, the first a song about a journey, the second a dance with the sound of arrows against the bows. Two tracks of the Kapauko’s follow one described as the great choir, the other as a round dance. Followed by a number of tracks from the Moni of Kugapa. A love song and 3 fragments of a girl’s song. Then a walking song, the sounds of a round dance, a bad recording of a mouth harp tune, a song with no description and finally a procession song.

 

K9

A tape recording from Kolopom (Yos Sudarso, Frederik-Hendrik Island) made by Laurens Serpenti around 1963. On side A is a mourning ritual recorded on a distance of around 20 meter, a departure song for a dead person and a talk with an informer plus a bit of radio. On the B side it starts with a Watjib (dance song) fragment. It is followed by a teasing song of a boy reproaching his friend of not giving him any tobacco. Continued with a song of more boys and then a Bahasa song. It goes further with two well-known watjib songs without drums. It is followed by a house building song with flutes. Then a short talk and then a Christmas song learned from a missionary from the Kei islands. Then a talk with the village guru, another Christmas song and finally a talk about “potlach”.

K10

A tape recording from Kolopom (Yos Sudarso, Frederik-Hendrik Island) made by Laurens Serpenti around 1963. Side A starts with a Watjib dance, followed by a mourning song, the tuning of the drums and another Watjib. Then a conversation with the government doctor of Merauke and lastly another funeral song as always sung only by women. Side B starts with a Watjib dance recorded out of context as only one group participate instead of the usual 2 moieties or villages. There are 2 different songs. It is followed by a 2 group Watjib also with 2 fragments. Then a one group Watjib with many drums and finally a radio call for Serpenti.

K11

A tape recording from Kolopom (Yos Sudarso, Frederik-Hendrik Island) made by Laurens Serpenti around 1963. There are only two short funeral songs on Side A and two short conversations. Side B is empty.

 

Hob 14 377

This is a tape with a selection of copies from the Hobbel discs recorded in 1949 in FakFak. They were part of the tour J. Hobbel made in the Moluccas during which he made recordings with a record cutting machine. He also made a stopover in Fakfak. There he recorded a number of discs, which were later first copied on discs by Jaap Kunst and the later copied on a tape. In this process the same tunes were copied several times and ended up also on this tape. It starts with Christian choir songs then a song with tifa Hio, hio, followed by two more regional songs, Psalm 23, a number of repetitions of earlier songs, a flute orchestra Hoera djin tjing, and three more repetitions.

K7

Yarut.

This is one of the 3 tapes Jan Verscheuren recorded among the Marind Anim. A selection of the recordings of Jan Verschueren have been published on the CD Dema. Music of the Marind Anim, Pan records 4018. This tape was recorded on 7-8-1962 in Wendu. On it are mourning songs of two genres Yarut and Depo, all together 24 tracks with a short-spoken introduction by Jan Verschueren.

K8

This is one of the 3 tapes Jan Verscheuren recorded among the Marind Anim. A selection of the recordings of Jan Verschueren have been published on the CD Dema. Music of the Marind Anim, Pan records 4018. This first genre of songs was recorded in Keisa 1-9-62 and contains the Gumi, songs which are connected with the secret ritual Ezam and the percussion is with a special type of bamboo drum. There are 13 tracks with a spoken introduction. They are followed by gaga songs which belong to the Imo ritual, a male initiation ritual. It was recorded in Senegi 3-9-1962. There are 13 tracks with a spoken introduction. As last on this tape are Ayase songs, or the songs sung the night before head hunting expeditions. There are three tracks with a spoken introduction. The were recorded in Senegi 4-9-1962.

A21

This is one of the 3 tapes Jan Verscheuren recorded among the Marind Anim. A selection of the recordings of Jan Verschueren have been published on the CD Dema. Music of the Marind Anim, Pan records 4018. This tape has the recordings of the genre Sambzi’s the songs which belong to the great dances with spoken introductions. It has ritual connotations. In total 13 tracks. They were recorded in Baad without any tifa’s. That was forbidden by the Dutch local military commander. It is followed by a number of Gadzi’s, a young people’s dance just for entertainment. 8 tracks with a spoken introduction. Also recorded in Baad. It is followed by a number of Sambzi’s. 7 tracks with a spoken introduction. Recorded in Wendu. Exact date not known but all in the later half of 1962.