With more than 1,000 different tribes, Papua New Guinea is, to put it mildly, a people photographer’s paradise. As if our time spent up-river visiting remote villages and on the Sepik river wasn’t amazing enough, next we headed to the mountains, where Papua New Guinea’s largest Sing Sing festival is held. The Mt. Hagen Sing Sing originated in the mid-1900’s, as a venue for tribes to peacefully compete and share their music, culture and traditions, rather than to fight traditional tribal wars.
Today, Sing Sings like the one at Mt. Hagen continue to help keep Papua New Guinea’s rich traditions and rituals alive. These festivals also provide a truly incredible photographic experience for visitors willing to make the long arduous journey to Papua New Guinea. This year’s Mt. Hagen sing sing gave us unprecedented up-close and personal opportunities to photograph more than 80 different tribes as they prepared for and performed dances during the two-day, Mt. Hagen Sing Sing. Information about the 2016 Papua New Guinea trip, click here.
Love the portraits. Do you have any photos of the actual singsong ceremony? I was there many years ago (film era) and got wonderful photos of the performance. I’d like to see what they are doing today. There were less than 59 foreigners at the festival when we were they. The people went to the airport when they knew an airplane was coming. That was their entertainment for them. Would like to go there again to experience the sing sign of today.
Hi Ed,
Thanks for the comment. Yes, I some more “overall shots” of the performance. I’ll be posting them later, perhaps in a week or so.
It must have been amazing to be there with just 59 foreigners! This year there were a few hundred, but still it didn’t feel “touristic”. The folks are doing it more for the locals and themselves than the foreigners who attend.
Hope you can make a return with me…..it would be nice to know what you find most different from your earlier experience.
Cheers,
Karl
Love the portrait of the woman against the turquoise-colored wall. Also, the older woman being attended to. The first horizontal skeleton man photo is very powerful and your final image speaks to me, as well. THANK YOU FOR SHARING! I’d be interested in seeing some of the shots that Ed’s talking about, as well. Plus they would be nice to have for the trip’s gallery page.
Best portraits ever! Thanks Karl !
Thank you Serge!
Wow Karl, way cool. . . . would love to see them all in the flesh sometime.
And hugs from us here in the Sunshine State where all is well . . . .
and we are off to “The Moabs” soon.
Jan and that Always Handsome-Lew-Man