WPNews:Org – OXFORD The Lani Singers being invited by the Oxford University Arts Festival 2025 collaboration with the book fair event and Oxford Poetry Circle at the Magdalene College, Oxford University on Sunday, 13th July 2025.
The Lani Singers is a West Papuan freedom song composed by Maria Wenda and The Lani Singers director Ambo Aspalek and Helen Haluk (members of the Lani Singers) , and Lani Wenda (a daughter of West Papua independence leader, Benny Wenda).
Historical of the Lani Singers (Nanalik Ndawi) Freedom Songs
The Lani Singers hail from the remote central highland region of West Papua, located on the island of New Guinea in the south-west Pacific. Deeply emotive, our songs are rooted in the sacred rituals of the Lani tribe, whose way of living has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years. Our music also embodies a powerful modern day message of our peoples struggle for a free West Papua from Indonesia’s terrorist state coloniser in West Papua..
What is most remarkable about the Lani Singers is the story of how we came to be where we are today; from leading a simple, subsistence life in the highland region of West Papua, to their present home in exile in the UK. Greater still is the responsibility that rests on their shoulders – sustaining the traditions of West Papuan music that are threatened by the occupying colonial criminal regime of Indonesia.
Displays of cultural expression including playing traditional music are banned by the Indonesian criminal occupier government in West Papua – just one example of what many observers have described as ’cultural genocide’, slow mottion ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing adding to the human one that has already cost the lives of over 700,000 West Papuans.
While Benny Wenda (West Papua Independence Leader) languished in prison, sustained threats and intimidation were made towards his wife Maria. She was forced to flee with their five month old daughter Koteka to neighbouring Papua New Guinea, to one of the many refugee camps that lace the border region. It was here that Maria started writing music.
We had such an amazing event and audience so please with the Lani Singers gave a big spirit and brought peace among attendees. They really enjoyed listening to the West Papua freedom songs about West Papua suffering and pains under Indonesian colonial occupation in West Papua for more than 63 years. It is similar to the struggle of the Palestinian, Kurdish, Kanaky, Hawaii, Maori, Aboriginal, Baloch, Kasmir, Ahwes, Armenian, Druz, Alevi, and all indigenous people who are fighting for their indigenous lands from the illegal occupiers. We are in the same fight and same struggle as human being through the music to deliver our messages for freedom.
Special-a big thank you to the Oxford Festival of the Arts and the Oxford Indie Book Fair. Oxford Poetry Circle ran the poetry and Marian East Wood who are organisers of the event last Sunday, 13th July 2025 at Magdalene College, Oxford University.
We were generously given extra time after too, thank you Sylvia Vetta.
Featured poets : Anthony Howell, Julian Stannard, Bettina Schroeder, Alex Murdock and Marian East Wood.
Open Mic Headliners:
Memoona Ahmed
Oormila Prahlad
Much appreciated music –
Malcolm Atkins – composer and musician
The Lani Singers from West Papua
It was a really beautiful venue, the river was close, old trees, such a lovely place. Thank you to the Oxford Festival of the Arts and the Oxford Indie Book Fair. We had a bar hub so drinks were ready.
I wish to thank everyone again, especially those who came and shared their poems and music!
Thank you everyone!
The Lani Singers team
