Toliman: Subam was advocate of indigenous music

By ABIGAIL APINA
MUSICIAN and singer July Toliman has expressed her family’s condolences on the death of Tony Soru Subam, describing him as an advocate of indigenous music in Papua New Guinea.
She said she texted Subam a Christmas greeting on Christmas morning without knowing he had died.
“As usual, Tony would respond quickly but not this time. I got the news two days later about his passing,” she said.
Toliman said Subam was an advocate of indigenous music in PNG and performances with the Sanguma band from 1977 to 1988 displayed his great artistic skills.
 “What is most satisfying will be the unique music performed to the outside world and a display of creative arts, the experience of the group performance, using a wide range of musical instruments from Papua New Guinea,” she said.
“I could imagine the feeling of pride and ownership of indigenous music of Papua New Guinea, different from the rest of the world.”
She said after Sanguma, Subam went on with freelancing, taking music classes and performing in city gigs.
She said sometimes he would take part in church liturgies.
Toliman said Subam had always encouraged his students to focus on PNG indigenous music while teaching at the University of PNG.
“Being a schoolmate at the National Arts School, later his student and colleague, I found Tony to be endowed with musical art and was full of inspiration and loved his art profoundly,” she said.
She said during a visit to UPNG last March, he expressed his views of getting the school of music and arts back in shape by seeking funding from the university and abroad to renovate the deteriorating building there.
She said with the death of the former music director of the arts school, the late Yawi Yambon, three years ago, and now Subam, the university had a vacuum of talent.
She urged authorities to consider his call to maintain the school of art in order to continue its programme at the university level.