Subam, Sanguma and the sounds of the 80s

By Patrick Matbob

The death of Tony Subam; musician, composer, arranger and the leader of PNG’s 80s contemporary ethno jazz group Sanguma has focused attention on the achievements of this unique music group more than 20 years ago.


Late Tony Subam: leader of Sanguma.

The group’s beginning is synonymous with the birth of a new nation some 40 years ago. It was a time when Papua New Guinea was preparing for independence, and looking to forge a nation out of hundreds of tribes, languages and cultures. The architects were also conscious that this process could cause the loss of the rich cultural heritage that the new nation possessed. To help ensure the preservation and development of the traditional cultures, institutions were set up and funded to carry out the work. The institutions set up under the National Cultural Council of PNG included the Institute of PNG studies, Skul Bilong Wokim Piksa (Film institute), the National Theatre Company, and the Creative Arts Centre (later renamed the National Arts School). Today only the Institute of PNG Studies, the National Film Institute and the National Performing Arts Troupe remain. The Art School which is now a part of University of PNG offered two basic courses – fine arts and music. It was from the music school that Tony and Sanguma would emerge.



Tony made an immediate impact at the National Art School in 1977 together with fellow students who had formed Sanguma. Sanguma was the ensemble through which the students could express their musical creations. Two of the founding members Thomas Komboi (trumpet, composer/arranger) and Sebastian Miyoni (composer/arranger) would remain with him. Other key members who joined later were Buruka Tau (keyboards), Raymond Hakena (drums), Aaron Murray (composer/arranger, flute), Apa Saun (bass), Paul Yabo (composer/arranger, trumpet) and Leonard Taligatus (lead guitar). Other musicians who performed with the group at various times since 1977 were Peter Piruke, Jessie James Pongap, Bill Stevens, Robinson Guta, Hilary Laris, Josepha Tamelagai and guest musicians Les Maclaren and Rick Halstead.

Sanguma in the 80s.

Sebastian Miyoni, a pioneer Sanguma recalled that Madang was one of the first province’s that Sanguma toured in 1977 soon after it was formed. “We played during the Maborasa festival at Laiwaden oval”.

Tony who had grown a distinct dreadlock was a standout figure on stage during the group’s 1977 independence celebration tour that inspired many young Papua New Guineans. His recreation of the popular traditional Madang songs like Rorombe and Naiyo, Naiyo from his mother’s Yabob village with a blend of modern and traditional musical instruments left a lasting impression. Equally was Komboi’s Morobe arrangment of Spangane.

The PNG education department was encouraging traditional cultures and songs to be taught at schools in keeping with the growth of a new nation, and Sanguma’s fresh approach to adapting traditional PNG music fired the imagination of many. For the generation of the time, Sanguma was comparable to the famous British Afro group Osibisa whose music was a fusion of African, Carribean, Jazz, Rock and R&B. Aaron Murray later contributed Yalikoe, Wanjo and other compositions that also became the signature songs of Sanguma. These songs had commercial value if they could be rearranged into the popular genres of the time. Black Brothers of West Papua demonstrated this when they rearranged Yalikoe which made it on the British Disco charts in the early 80s. However, this was not the aim of Sanguma, who only released two recordings as a group through the National Broadcasting Corporation. A demo recording done in the early 80s in Sydney of Pongap’s Namilai definitely had commercial prospects however, the group never pursued it.

The western musical instruments that the group used included keyboards, brass, flutes, drums and electric guitars. The PNG instruments were Manus garamuts, Bougainville bamboo trumpets, panpipes, Sepik bamboo flutes, kundu drums, shakers, rattles and highlands kuakumba flutes. Subam’s arrangement of the kuakumba piece with keyboard accompaniment remains a classic. Their musical arrangements included experimenting with complex jazz harmonies and rhythms as heard in Miyoni’s Garden Song.  At the height of their fame in the late 80s, Sanguma had developed into a class of its own incomparable to anything PNG had ever produced. International music critics had problems identifying their music, or fitting it into any popular western music genre. Writers often dubbed their music as a fusion of ethnic jazz rock. Members of the group when asked to describe their music would simply reply ‘Sanguma’. 

For their graduation in 1980, Tony and Sebastian would release two suites through CHM studios in Port Moresby. Tony’s work was based on the legend of Honpain, the spirit woman who created pottery for the Yabob people where Tony’s mother comes from. Sebastian based his piece on the exploits of his Milne Bay province’s powerful witches.

Besides Sanguma, Tony had contributed immensely to the development of PNG music over the years. Little known is his involvement in writing and recording the sound track for PNG’s first feature length movie Marabe produced by the PNG government. The use of traditional instruments and percussions feature heavily in the film with the most memorable piece being Marabe’s farewell written by Sebastian Miyoni featuring Aaron Murray on the flute and Tony on the classical guitar. Tony was also one of the principal writers of “Eberia” the stage opera by one of PNG’s great actors William Takaku. He also wrote music for “My Brother, My Enemy” with Sebastian which was a play about the West Papuan independence struggle. He also wrote music for John Kasaipwalova’s musical production “Sail the Midnight Sun” and co-wrote music for “Nights of Emotions” with Sebastian. 

When the PNG Government opened its new High Commission building in Canberra in the early 80s, Sanguma was invited to the ceremony. Tony wrote the song Welcome to the House for the occasion.

Tony was also passionate about the political and socio-economic situations in the country. After independence, he and fellow PNG artists would be affected by political decisions that were being made by the leaders of the time. One of the enduring decisions would be made by Prime Minister Sir Julius Chan in the early 1980s to cut funding for arts and culture because of the financial difficulties the country was facing. The National Arts School was going to be closed down however after strong protests by students and supporters, the decision was reversed. However, funding was cut back and the school was eventually taken over by the University of PNG.

 Tony would express his views on the impact of development on PNG and on political struggles of West Papua in another recording with Pacific Gold. This was a personal recording of songs he had written which were in English and had powerful personal messages and experiences. Among the songs was the track “Indonesia, leave our people alone” dedicated to the West Papua struggle for independence. Later he and Sebastian assisted in the peace process on Bougainville by organizing the youths around Arawa to perform the peace treaty song “Spirit of Love” written by William Takaku.

With Sanguma, Tony travelled the world performing in Germany, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the Pacific Islands and lived and performed in US. The group disbanded in 1989 which manager Peggy Reed attributed to “a split between the original members and the new comers”.

Tony’s influence was wider than often realised. He was an inspiration for his relatives in Madang which saw the growth of creative song writing and recording in the province. Musicians like his late nephew, Sandy Gabriel and Kales, Willie Tropu, Old Dog and the Offbeats and Demas Saul would emerge through Chris Seeto’s Tumbuna Track commercial studio. Today their ‘Madang’ sound has established itself amongst the popular PNG music.

Tony teamed up with the famous American guitar virtuoso Bob Brozman in 2003-4 to record East New Britain stringbands to produce the album Songs of the Volcano. He was also in Australia last year to run workshops on PNG music.

Early in December, Tony travelled to the Milne Bay islands to spend a few days with his Sanguma mates Sebastian Miyoni, Thomas Komboi and Raymond Hakena.

“We slept on the beach under the stars and open sky, reminiscing about the good old days, spoke about our families but not about Sanguma” Sebastian recalled. “Sanguma was going to be the topic for another trip, and sad to say that trip with our brother was the last trip that we shared with him.”

“Our bond is much closer than his (Tony’s) own blood brothers”, said Thomas Komboi who helped formed Sanguma. “When we are on stage, he is always at my side … everywhere in the world we go … ”

Tony is survived by his two partners and five children, four boys and one girl. He was head of the music strand at the University of PNG at the time of his death.

Tony was laid to rest on tiny Mareg Island at Yabob amongst many of his maternal ancestors.