MW6-071 - Interview with Romalus Matition, Tavana

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Tape#1 : Musical history and association with Ephraem Tami and Musician Waterhouse Side A & B: Romalus Matition was a young man attending Malaguna Technical School from 1929 till the Matupit volcano eruptions in 1937. Romalus knew of Ephraem Tami who had a printing job and worked with Mr Waterhouse the Clerk of Methodist Church Mission Office based at Malaguna near Rabaul. Mr Waterhouse who was also a musician taught Ephraem Tami about choral music becoming the pioneer in on Matupit Island, Rabaul and environs. He taught and conducted choir singing and got his Matupit Island choir performances in Rabaul on festivals, competitions and performances for tourists who came over to Rabaul. Choral performances include Thanksgiving Day on the aftermath of 1937 volcanic eruptions to acknowledge minimal casualties and a thank you to God for his protection of the people and other post-war choral festivals in late 1940s' were Empire Day at Rabaul and George Brown Day at Vunairima. Queens Birthday choral festivals started from early 1950s' and the George Brown Day celebrating the Methodist Missionaries continued on thereafter to 1960s' and 1970s'. Waterhouse School was established in Nodup where other colleague students of Ephraem were taught music namely; Isikel Mulat, Apelis Maniot, Arthur Wama, ToKingoro. Other Methodist missionaries such as Michael ToBilak and others were also taught in writing of hymns and translations to the Kuanua Hymn Book called the "Buk na Kakailai". These early musicians were conductors and choir masters and involved in teaching others in various areas of the Gazelle Peninsula namely; Matalau, Tavui, Pilapila, Kabakada, Raluana, Vunamami. Romalus story was he had been brought in as off-sider to learn from Tami in the Matupit Island Choir but there were some issues with members and Tami himself so the main choir was forced to split into 2 choirs from base areas of Rarup (Tami) and Kikila (Romalus). They went to compete in choral festivals and although Romalus musically was self-taught due to lack of support from Tami, he managed to win competitions which continued friction amongst choir members and people of Matupit. Due to serious illness to Romalus, he was no longer involved with choirs anymore and was blamed to jealousy from the people who may have had magical spells or witchcraft. His testimony was that after a choir practice session singing under the lighting of a kerosene lantern lamp blowing up was a sign he was no longer needed to be leading the choir group. Romalus later travelled to Port Moresby and was admitted for some time in the psychiatric hospital for mental health issues and later recovered and returned Matupit where he lived a quieter life and now residing at Tavana across the harbour from Matupit. (Steven Gagau, May 2019). Language as given: