Last month I travelled up to the Highlands to see the Goroka Show, I saw some 77 Sing-sing groups perform simultaneously on a football oval. Each Sing-sing group had between 18-30 performers so it was easy to guess that there was at least nearly 1500 performers in traditional costume all dancing and all singing their favourite traditional songs. Most of the songs were about preparation for clan warfare but there were some young fit athletic men from Morobe who were singing about women and cooking.

Bless ‘em.

And now for a select group of photos, there is 20 I have chosen so please be patient ;)

cheers,
pm.

I am led (sp?) to believe that this is Oil Palm Oil which darkens this warrior’s skin….

some last minute adjustments to the milliner’s craftwork…

all singin’ and all dancin’…

show us that Betelnut smile!

here piggy piggy piggy piggy!

Quintessential Highland Meri.

As this is a Gardening Forum, check out the Callistemon in his fringe…

But if this was a Hairdressers Forum you’d soon check out the highlights in this young boy’s hair!

“after midnight, we’re gonna let it all hang out….”

And before Midnight?

Two charming young girls and a head full of Muruk feathers.

plplplplplplplplplplphhhh!!!!

Asaro Mudman.

check out the breadbag clip through the nose!

I was not game to ask if she was having a bad day or not….

another Highland Meri, it was funny to see them walking around after the show, still with face paint on but t-shirt and pants and coats and beannies.

Hagen Man.

cheeky young boys.

cheekier young boys.

the Colour of the show!

and the not so colour of the show, but still with impact.

Young reflective lad.

em tasol.

pain master said:

Hagen Man.

Does he have different facial features to the average papuan, or is it just the paint?

pain master said:

em tasol.

Great shots PM.

great shots there. you can see that they get into the spirit of the thing, and much better to get together for a show than to fight each other, yes?

Bubba Louie said:

pain master said:

Hagen Man.

Does he have different facial features to the average papuan, or is it just the paint?

Hagen men do have different facial features and in fact, with time, it is easier to determine which part of PNG a person hails from. It was more the design of his face paint that gave away his Mt Hagen status, and just quietly, he’s Niuginian not Papuan.

Bubba Louie said:

pain master said:

em tasol.

Great shots PM.

Thanks Bubba Louie, I have a few more good shots, but I chose a highlights package suitable for this ‘ere forum crowd. Needless to say, on the day, I filled close to 6Gb of memory cards… It was an amazing experience.

bluegreen said:

great shots there. you can see that they get into the spirit of the thing, and much better to get together for a show than to fight each other, yes?

Interesting you should say that BG, the Hagen crew at this show did parade strongly especially when approaching their Gorokan neighbours, and this came one month after the Hagen Show was a disaster. Who would have thought that a local bi-election in the City of Mt Hagen would turn away the audience and the performers. No-one showed. So I think that is why Goroka this year was a corker.

Quite a few of the dances were Tribal Fighting Preparation dances.

And then there was the small rock throwing incident, but that happens most years…. ahem at most festivals….

I can not describe the impact those photos haveon me. I was thinking of the beauty of those people and what it would have been like to have seen it in the flesh (so to speak) The photo of the young boy looking wistfully at what was going on around him, pretty well sums up how I am feeling…….. amazing:D

Lucky1 said:

I can not describe the impact those photos haveon me. I was thinking of the beauty of those people and what it would have been like to have seen it in the flesh (so to speak) The photo of the young boy looking wistfully at what was going on around him, pretty well sums up how I am feeling…….. amazing:D

Thank you Lucky1. I have another gazillion shots all of the colour and passion of a wonderful day.

pain master said:

plplplplplplplplplplphhhh!!!!

Asaro Mudman.

look into the ear of this Asaro Mudman.

pain master said:

Lucky1 said:

I can not describe the impact those photos haveon me. I was thinking of the beauty of those people and what it would have been like to have seen it in the flesh (so to speak) The photo of the young boy looking wistfully at what was going on around him, pretty well sums up how I am feeling…….. amazing:D

Thank you Lucky1. I have another gazillion shots all of the colour and passion of a wonderful day.

What great memories for you to carry through out your life.

Amazing shots, PM. I’m trying to find something intelligent to say about them but words fail me !
What an experience to have been there :) Thanks to your photos we can see a little of it, thankyou.

orchid40 said:

Amazing shots, PM. I’m trying to find something intelligent to say about them but words fail me !
What an experience to have been there :) Thanks to your photos we can see a little of it, thankyou.

Thanks Orchid40, I would love to share more photos with you… who knows, maybe in a few days I might find another collection?

Or I may organise my Independence Day Sing-sing shots from here in Moresby?

pain master said:

orchid40 said:

Amazing shots, PM. I’m trying to find something intelligent to say about them but words fail me !
What an experience to have been there :) Thanks to your photos we can see a little of it, thankyou.

Thanks Orchid40, I would love to share more photos with you… who knows, maybe in a few days I might find another collection?

Or I may organise my Independence Day Sing-sing shots from here in Moresby?

Yes Please !!!!!!

orchid40 said:

pain master said:

orchid40 said:

Amazing shots, PM. I’m trying to find something intelligent to say about them but words fail me !
What an experience to have been there :) Thanks to your photos we can see a little of it, thankyou.

Thanks Orchid40, I would love to share more photos with you… who knows, maybe in a few days I might find another collection?

Or I may organise my Independence Day Sing-sing shots from here in Moresby?

Yes Please !!!!!!

They really are a world apart aren’t they? They all look well fed and healthy. Except perhaps the young lad with the runny nose. Apparently us white people caused the downfall of many a native tribe around the world by inflicting our viruses on their pure way of life.

Well done there Pain master.

pain master said:

pain master said:

plplplplplplplplplplphhhh!!!!

Asaro Mudman.

look into the ear of this Asaro Mudman.

You must have better eyes than me.

pomolo said:

orchid40 said:

pain master said:

orchid40 said:

Amazing shots, PM. I’m trying to find something intelligent to say about them but words fail me !
What an experience to have been there :) Thanks to your photos we can see a little of it, thankyou.

Thanks Orchid40, I would love to share more photos with you… who knows, maybe in a few days I might find another collection?

Or I may organise my Independence Day Sing-sing shots from here in Moresby?

Yes Please !!!!!!

They really are a world apart aren’t they? They all look well fed and healthy. Except perhaps the young lad with the runny nose. Apparently us white people caused the downfall of many a native tribe around the world by inflicting our viruses on their pure way of life.

Well done there Pain master.

a new series about to be screened on SBS (I think starting tonight) called the New or First Australians and it talks about how 50% of the Aboriginal population in Sydney Cove (Warronga) were killed off by introduced disease.

Little children and runny noses are par for the course up here. :(

And as for being well fed, the Highland region is one big Vegetable and Fruit Bowl so all the Highlanders tend to be quite healthy, and with an abundance of Pigs and Chickens and some Cows, they get some Protein in their diet too.

Bubba, you might have a better eye for detail in this cropped shot???

Wonderful photography as usual, PM. Thank you so much for sharing with us :)

nice work master
even my wife hangs out for your photo shoots these days.
- then again ms pepe watches ‘americas next top model’ show on tv – so maybe its the fashions she’s into.

great photo pm.

Great photos, PM. I’ll have to show my buddy when she comes over later…make her feel all nostalgic, she spent many of her early years on Bougainville as her dad was based there for a while. Between Indonesia and PNG, she had a rather different and amazing childhood – she has told me stories of being able to pluck mangoes and pawpaws straight off the wild trees by the side of the road (can’t remember if that was Bougainville or Indonesia but anyway…) and learning to swim and dive pretty much as soon as she could walk.

Thanks everyone :)