ANTHONY COPPING

Last Voices

Last Voices

from Heaven

A dialogue with the spirits describing how we, our ancestors, all animals and the spirit world are all part of a universal world. Mana is the foundation of Pacific culture. To represent its importance, the track features more than 200 singers from Pacific islands.

In a sacred ceremony, a baby’s head is bound to resemble the island god Ambat. The song is based on the soothing sounds made to the baby to ease the pain of binding.

Uncertain of his place in the world, a young boy seeks answers from his spirit guide, the snake. The spirit speaks through him, teaching the boy how to sense its presence and recognise that he is not alone.

A sacred ritual, recorded in the dense jungle village of Neuha from behind a wall of dried palm leaves. The male villagers’ chant captures the moment of communication with the spirits. Woven in with this moment, Seini sings a traditional Tongan song of love, loss and trust in a higher guidance.

`Respect for ancestors is paramount. If asked, the chosen one may have to sacrifice their life’. At the top of his tribe’s hill, their spiritual home, Pascal sings to his ancestors.

A boy is initiated into the world of the elders through the most sacred of rituals, the sinking of the Wuroman (his soul ship). The sacrifice guarantees safety on water – vital protection for island people.

Inspired by a West Papuan canoe chant, this was recorded during a 3-week canoe trip on the Mamberamo River. Wasi, the spirit messenger, travels on the wind. He is dangerous, and can be called upon to harm others. The song tells of using the spirit of the eagle for protection.

For Pacific people, birth must start with death. This is a lullaby to a child of the future, and the cycle is completed as the spirits are reincarnated in the body of the new born. It was recorded in a hut on a salt water island during Cyclone Zoe.

Laments are a healing tool for the islanders. Through grief, we discover the harmony between the spirits and the living. The track begins with a West Papuan grieving ceremony and in verse 2, the Drums of the Dead are played by Mahaiana, one of the last remaining medicine men in West Papua.

`Learn the skills and the spirits will talk for you. But the skills that takes the longest to master is silence’. A song inspired by telepathy. Copping and Oritaimae discovered that in the deep jungle, there were times when words were not necessary.

A possession ceremony. In 1993 an elderly woman, Urunakua, allowed Copping to record her lament for her dead husband. As the song progresses she begins singing in an unknown language and her voice becomes that of a man – the voice of her husband. It is an extraordinary moment, a deeply personal experience symbolising the survival of an ancient way of life against overwhelming odds.