Local Sing-sings in Papua New Guinea

Sing-Sings

4 The Silent Pied Piper of PNG 800
36 Huli Wigman of Papua New Guinea 800
78 Huli Wigmen at a Sing Sing 800
73 Have a Little Faith in Me 800
79 Huli Tribal Woman with her Drum 800
93 Painted Huli Wigman Warrior 800
95 Black faced Warrior in Mt. Hagen 800
101 Young handsome and available 800
28 Beat of a Different Drum 800
109 Saturday Night Fever in PNG 800
118 p 142 800
118 p 142 8009
119 p 137 800
119 p 141 800

Local "Sing-sings" in Papua New Guinea

A sing-sing is a gathering of tribes or villages in Papua New Guinea. Tribal members gather together to share their distinct cultures through dance and music. Villagers paint and decorate themselves for sing-sings. These gatherings aim to peacefully share traditions. Some of the most famous sing-sings include the annual Mount Hagen Show.

As many as 100 regional, provincial, and national tribal dance groups, each with their own style of body decoration, travel for days to gather for these annual traditional events. Sing Sings are based on traditional large gatherings but these modern festivals were created by the government so that traditional enemies could meet on neutral territory. The first sing-sing was held in the town of Goroka in 1957. Instead of fighting over ancient feuds and cultural differences, the idea was to celebrate diversity and socialize peacefully.

All images were photographed in 1989