Ragnar Johnson Crying Bamboos: Ceremonial Flute Music from New Guinea: Madang

• Ragnar Johnson – Pu-kil, Bosmun
• Ragnar Johnson – Rumbung Pulpak, Bosmun
• Ragnar Johnson – Rumung, Bak
• Ragnar Johnson – Boma, Kaean
• Ragnar Johnson – Ga-ra-ra, Bosmun
• Ragnar Johnson – Buaraning, Bak
• Ragnar Johnson – Tomung Gingong, Bosmun
• Ragnar Johnson – Wamba, Bosmun
• Ragnar Johnson – Gomkail, Bak
• Ragnar Johnson – Vilung Nyap, Bosmun
• Ragnar Johnson – Bomana Longo, Kaean
• Ragnar Johnson – Gateh, Bak
• Ragnar Johnson – Ga-neh, Bosmun

• 1. Pu-kil, Bosmun
• 2. Rumbung Pulpak, Bosmun
• 3. Rumung, Bak
• 4. Boma, Kaean
• 5. Ga-ra-ra, Bosmun
• 6. Buaraning, Bak
• 7. Tomung Gingong, Bosmun
• 8. Wamba, Bosmun
• 9. Gomkail, Bak
• 10. Vilung Nyap, Bosmun
• 11. Bomana Longo, Kaean
• 12. Gateh, Bak
• 13. Ga-neh, Bosmun

Crying Bamboos is the translation of the pidgin description of the sound of sacred flutes: "Mambu i cry, i cry, i cry".

Sacred flutes are blown to make the cries of spirits by adult men in the Madang region of Papua New Guinea. Pairs of long bamboo male and female flutes are played for ceremonies in the coastal villages near the Ramu River. There are seven male initiation flute cries from Bosmun, four flute cries from Bak: Borai with occasional single garamut percussion and two flute cries from Kaean, one with vocals and hand drums. The flute players were of the last generation to have learned this skill during a complete cycle of male initiation. These previouslyunreleased recordings were made in 1979.