Sanguma

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This article is about the band. For the tradition of herbal medicines, see herbal medicine, or black magic.

Sanguma was a Papua New Guinean musical ensemble active from 1977 to 1980. They combined music from the cultural tradition of Papua New Guinea with Western instruments were one of the first Papua New Guinean music groups to perform internationally. Sanguma formed at the National Arts School in 1977 and performed in their homeland at the South Pacific Festival of Arts in 1980. Sanguma produced three albums on cassette format; the two eponymously titled Sanguma 1 and Sanguma 2 in the late 1970s and in 1981, 'Sanguma Suites' an adventurous excursion into progressive/traditional/rock/jazz/fusion composed by band members Tony Subam and Sebastian Miyoni and ostensibly by these two musicians rather than the band Sanguma, but as the band featured heavily on the album it was all but in name a Sanguma album. The first two albums were somewhat better received than was Sanguma Suites as they were closer to the traditional music of Papua New Guinea but utilised modern instrumentation to supplement the traditional flutes, drums and vocal sequences. Sanguma were nourished very closely in their early days by the Australian musician Ric Halstead who was a lecturer at the National Arts School in Port Moresby from whence Sanguma originated.

[edit] Members

Core	Responsibilities
Raymond Hakena	bamboo flute, percussion, voice
Thomas Komboi	composition and arrangement, keyboard, trumpet, percussion
Sebastian Miyoni	composition and arrangement, keyboard, percussion, voice, wind
Tony Subam	composition and arrangement, flute, keyboard, percussion, voice, wind
Leonard Taligatus	guitar, percussion, voice, wind
Baruka Tau	composition and arrangement, keyboard
Paul Yabo	percussion, trumpet, voice

Guest performers
Ben Hakalits
Aaron Murray	composition and arrangement, flute, keyboard, percussion, voice
Jesse James Pongap	flute
Apa Saun	bass guitar, bamboo flute, percussion, voice