Not Drowning, Waving (NDW) has long been one of Melbourne’s greatest cultural exports, but it is their 1990 album Tabaran, recorded with musicians from Rabaul and Port Moresby, that is their lasting legacy.
On one of the closing eves of the Sydney Festival, the City Recital Hall was packed to witness one of the Festival highlights – the celebration of 35 years since the creation of one of world music’s most original and impactful albums of cross-cultural influences.
Tabaran differed from much of what preceded or followed it in that it was not formed out of the Western desire to musically plunder traditional music, but rather a genuine melding of ideas taken from the band and the many cultures of Papua New Guinea (PNG).
The original recording was an exemplar of how the sonorous and spacious playing of NDW and the sampling of the polyrhythmic percussion, woodwind instruments and chanting of PNG musicians created something that was new, contemporary and collaborative.
In Sydney, the concert started with George Telek commanding the stage with his deep baritone voice. He was bare-chested and wearing a laplap and a ruffled collar adornment.
Telek was supported by woodwind master Pius Wasi, percussionists Emmanuel and Ben Hakalitz and joined in voice by the multi award-winning singer Danielle Morgan.
Slowly the evening took shape with NDW original members John Phillips, Russel Bradley, Rowan McKinnon and Alice Mountfort (filling in for her mother Helen Mountfort) on cello and with David Bridie on electric keys, piano and vocals.
The vocal powers of Telek and Morgan were immediately in evidence as was the impact of the three percussionists and drummer, giving NDW a whole new dynamic as a band.
With many of the songs in the first half of the show taken from NDW’s previous album Claim, the showstopper was Bridie’s rendition of ‘Palau’, about the intrusions of Western technologies on local culture.
With the second half devoted to the album played in order, the band opened with the title song before moving into ‘The Kiap Song’, about the white police force in PNG.
Telek’s ‘Pila Pila’ reminded us again what a great voice he has, along with a charismatic presence, even though he communicated in Tok Pisin, the creole of PNG.
For sheer atmospherics ‘Up In The Mountains’ brought together the impact that the culture and landscape had on NDW in both their songwriting and personal lives.
The set came to a conclusion with a standing ovation, followed by a three-song encore culminating with Telek centre stage again.
That Bridie and co created an album 35 years ago that has not aged a bit is testimony to the purity of its artistic aims.
That the night’s music was transformed by the power of the percussion is also a sign that this is a project that lives on and develops with relevance in contemporary times.
Adding to the atmospherics of the night was the repetitive and hypnotic projection of images, many from the late filmmaker Mark Worth, of tribal life and reenactments.
Read: Performance review: Creative Juices, FRINGE WORLD
Tabaran stands as an ongoing legacy to a cultural exchange 35 years ago that that continues to enrich both cultures – and, for the 2000 people who attended on the night, will leave them musically rewarded.
Not Drowning, Waving & George Telek: Tabaran was performed for one night only on 24 January 2025 at City Recital Hall as part of Sydney Festival.
