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Mengemedaol er a Irechar

by Ngirchoureng

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1.
Tobiera 02:46
Adidil e ng kebesengei me ng belsechel a riid e ma Kremiid a renguk a di kiei meng chelmengem Tobie–e, tobie–ira Tobie–e, tobie–ira Ng meketeketa e a kuk lotka le ngak el kora milsa medam risei er chomei loumatematong el seinendang ----- Dreaming of the evening and it is time to depart and I left, but my heart stayed to be your companion It’s been such a long time It’s been such a long time It’s been so long that I can barely recall because I kind of saw your face when those young people came to dance
2.
Bkul a Omelochel el ngara mo bedul a nishinoho Aki sabisii el di kiei el mengard er a klengiterreng E diak a me mengesang er a renguk Sera leme otayori altang asameru Ak mlo medengei me a kurusii el di kiei el mengiil er kau E diak a cheldechulel le ke kmal cheroid Yuyake koyake le hinga kureru Adidil er a Ngeremdiu el mo bedul a Bkul a Chesemiich El di uai a ngera lmo diak desang Sel bok bad a leklebesei e kumes er a todai Ng cheroid e mengemengemed e me ng bedengek a olengoech e ak mo bad e kurusii le ngak a sabisii Ulekum e decharm a chad e mak mesebesebek er a kereker lekong a higashi me dekasoes a kuk me remei e mesubed a renguk e sabisii ----- At Bkul a Omelochel, facing the west we live in loneliness we face sadness because nothing occupies our heart I found out about it I suffered but I lived to await your return It cannot be helped because you are at a far distance Looking at Ngeremediu toward Bkul a Chesemiich they seem to be getting smaller (disappearing into the horizon) At night when I go to sleep I take a glance at the light house It is too far and barely visible My body gets weaker as I try to sleep and I suffer so because I am lonely If only people were like birds, I would fly to the reef to where you are, on the east side, so we can meet and then return home and accept my loneliness
3.
Mengesang a reng el anata lomais e di cheleuid e ngoura renguk Mengob a lomiboid er a belual keltang e ngak a kurusii Tosinga kureyuku mak kol di mo mekera cheldechedechak el di kulab e anata, e uoi merur el me mengesang Beluad a kekerei el beluu ma blid a kal chacheroid e ochedengei me sel kuk bekul engelakl e aleko kisa sungata rekau Sayo saraba betik er a renguk meral di kau el tang a chosengkok mak mo uram er a rebldekek e chumechemur itial renguk ----- The troubled heart who is my sweetheart It wanders just in confusion and is starting to take my heart Back and forth it traveled yet where is its home? And I am in pain Before my days end I will just tell my story of how I brought my loved one to become ashamed and troubled Our village is a small place and our houses aren’t far from each other, sweetheart and you and I were almost close to passing and apparently I saw your shadow Goodbye, my sweetheart It is truly just you that is the one who troubles me I will have resentment toward my ancestors and keep breaking this heart of mine
4.
Bechesiik el di mla soak e di obeso er ngak Ngera uchul a terdem er ngak e mochotii Mak bo kumdid er a renguk lekong e ng di mo kau el tang Mak bo kumdid er a renguk lekong e ng chesebreng ku er ngak le kau me ngak a uoi meringel a bod kebii Di mechikung lungil besum e a uriul e ke me mesekak Eang ngilel a chelid el bldekek er a blik el diak locheuir a mlo ikrak el me chemau ngak Ng di ua kulab a iobs er a Ngermechiiuch lomaoch ----- My sweetheart that I liked is about to forget me What is the reason that your irritation with me reveals itself? I am trying to connect my heart with you but you just stay alone I am trying to connect my heart to you and it is about to bring me heartbreak because it is rather painful for you and me to be separated So goodbye and may your affairs go well and later, you come and see me The angry spirit of my ancestors in my home It doesn’t call out to the one who ignored me to come and face me It is just like me trying to hold the foam from Ngermechiiuch as it flows
5.
Kebruka (free) 02:03
Arumi no singoto wa hiyoban a kebruka saireng no stizi ki hazima er a singoto Yasumi no singoto cheluut a mei eltel ongos el me mengeluut era bedengam er a bebul a Temekai el Ked Kaeri er a singoto matsidosi er a kurand o tanosi minasang ki mlo melechong er a diong er a did Yamano ueni Ngerchetang a tsikai saiko no singoto kita er Belau el di mekekerei Ato no kotowa kirael el mora kasiuku yuhang sumasite kisang bo el mora Singetsu ----- Aluminum work We travel there by cable car The siren announces that it is time to start work Taking a break from work a cool wind blows from the east as it comes, it cools our bodies as we stand on top of the hill “Temekai el Ked” Returning from work waiting for my lover at the playground and when our fun is done we bathe at the spot by the bridge On top of the mountain looking out the Ngerchetang river in our view Northern Palau has become very crowded Later we ask for leave we travel to go to the work camp and when we are finished we can see to the bridge at Singetsu
6.
Mototoi hanarete hurusato wo omoeba natsukasi abai maki meral choita bedengam Di longelu ochaeio el mei e a mochu mello' e ochedengei kmo lotkii a beluak me a blik el cheroid e mengemengemed Dibe lobuu a daob er a suma hama e minasang kmo lotkii a beluak ma bai el cheroid e mengemengemed Mire ba todai yama no akari mo bika bika Beririu no sima mo tsisaku mieru Sechelei maki meral choita bedengam ----- Far from my home at Mototoi I remember and become nostalgic for the abai (meeting house) we are truly weak and tired The ochaeio bird (shearwater) comes and is about to cry as the morning approaches, brother I recall my home village and my house far away and so distant as to be indistinct When the waves crash on the sandy beach far away I recall my home village and its meeting house far away and so distant as to be indistinct When I look, I see the light atop the lighthouse mountain flickering and Peleliu island looks so small in the distance Friend, we are truly weak and tired
7.
Kitar Belau 03:39
Kita er Belau el seinendang aki di ngara belngel a ked aki sabisi el bek el chad e di diak a mo tanoshimi Asayu wa takai hange yama no ue tobikuru kuramang hangesii nikizu no oto Hutte kuru teki no tama no nakademo kyomo saingo no Kuramang no oto kieru Warera Parao no gaku seinengdang tobikuru tama no Nakade hataraki tsuzuku ----- The youth group of northern Palau we are standing in the middle of the open area each of us is lonely and just not going to have any fun From morning to evening high over the bare hill Grumman fighter planes were coming over with the terrible sound of two launchers Even we are under the raining bullets from our enemy until the sound of today’s last Grumman fades away We are students and youth of Palau the bullets are flying even then, we keep working
8.
Wakare no hayasani ng dimlak de kaodengei E ke mo melemolem aikel mlo soam meng di rektel ku renguk Bechesiil a diak le chubchubchad meng di obeso chelebulam Chelebuul er a klengelakel ma deleuill er kid a chad er a beluu Kelekolt er a mochu tutau meng diak boleiit a medak wanga kodakiyo se suzuri naku Kuureng rar bekl loungalek el chad alta te kuk mo oungeuaol e ngak mar ngalek a diul di oureng e mochar a dusall Molatk e kau a di cheleiud me ke di oltirakl a soam e di obeso er kid el ua dekauchad el ua dekaungalek kung ----- You were quick to say farewell, and we didn’t keep track of each other and you continue to do those things you wanted and it is about to be the sickness of my heart My sweetheart is not compassionate and just about to forget our misery The miserable relationship between parent and child and the relationship with all of us in the village It is cold as morning approaches and I cannot fall asleep holding my child and sobbing I hope for everyone who is the parent of a child perhaps they are about to go fishing for a new love and I and the children together just hope that we can find a place to sleep Remember, you just made a mistake and you just follow your desires and just about to forget us who are like relatives to you like our coming relationship as parents to our children
9.
Tomete kureru na Desiik el kmal mle betik er a renguk Ngera dula mak chetikom Meke merort me a di ua sodel a sils leng di memochar ngebard Maltae ng di mle beot a rengum e chosang aikal rengud me kede mo kebii e ak di medengei blulekngem rengak el ua sodel a teriobs leng di kiete yuku Kurai yomitsi no ima tada hitari mak di ourureng a mla sidai er a dungil kasoes e chelechae di meloaoch le kua uleiul a eolt kung ----- I hold back the tears as we come to an end We had searched and found the one I love What did I say that caused you to come to dislike me? We are ending just like the sun that is going down in the west You were the easy-going one but you really disturbed our hearts we will separate and I just know your lie to me is like the breaking of sea foam because it just goes and disappears Your lies before, my lover I'm just nostalgic for our relationship when we were glad to see each other and now just wandering because I am like a destructive wind that is about to come
10.
Chesebreng 03:52
Adidil e ochedengei e a dolib er a sidai rekid dimlak dekasbesubed ema ng di renguk ak mong mo meral tekoi Lemlak er a rengum e anesang lemlak mongesang aikal rengud le chesebreng a ngar uchei meng kodeb a klengar re kid Kurael e mak ng kora chelechol rieda el mor e mei dibe lobuu a daob er a chelechol eng mo medidelangel a renguk Yoruni nera reun Yoake no soyo kaze Tsurai abai ni hitori de kurasu Bechesei me di mechikung le tametereng a ngar uchei mem sisichau e lorekedau e bobechikak me kungedechau ----- Thinking about my sweetheart and how we planned our relationship we didn’t tell each other and only my heart was the true one If only your heart wasn’t disturbed if only you didn’t bother these hearts of ours because now heartbreak is ahead of us and our lives are short I travel and I am like the beach that comes and goes as the ocean pushes the sand and my heart cries lightly At night, I cannot sleep At dawn, there is a comfortable wind Suffering at the abai Living alone Sweetheart, goodbye the pleasing of our hearts is yet to come come, pull yourself together and control yourself and forget me as I live without a home
11.
Koi mo nasake meng diul mlo diak er a rengud e ke mesngii a riid e e di ousuchiis e kung chebuul a renguk e ochedengei loltoir a ngamkechui e kau a di mekngit re ngii e ngosekla bedengem Kuureng er a tal bo dekasoes e kdu kkelmesmechek e kuchotii a kokoro lchebuul el mengedeau azuketa kodomo wa kini kakaru mak kora di mengkekebelung losiik a nglunguchek Wakare no kotoba kokoro nino kosi nangaku wasure nu doko ma demo hingure kanasi ya kuk lotkid era irechar meng sasaya kuko noha me a renguk a kmo kedi mlei ----- Love and pity and its shout that we didn’t know as you depart and are about to avoid me my poor heart, sweetheart with its love of the distantly related and you are just being bad separating your body from me I long for the one time we will get together and I give you my farewell and I discard my feelings pitifully standing around doing nothing I worry about my children left with you I am sort of going crazy as she searches for my apology I keep words of parting in my mind and I’ll remember them for a long time At sunset, I feel sad remembering the past memories when we came to this beach
12.
Adidil eng uoi meringel a kuureng e matsidosi Nasake nu tosama leng riidang Di ua kulab a iobs er a mizuno nangare me chelechang Ng omocha el remiid e ngak a kurusii (C) A telbilel a klengelakel ng kirel a melemolem el mora kodall Di uai a omoachel a lomaoch era uchelel el mora taoch ke di omdid a rengum e kumekerreu a rengul a kodomo sel bollangel lou papa e lak a chad Tasongare no hini wanga ko o idaite Mata meni namida nga ukabu Kau ke kol melatk era deluill er a klengelakel ema Tamani wa kitekure tanomu Bai derengum e anata leltang mo ungil limiit a medam lobengkel a ngar uchei el betik er a rengum Ngak a uoi kurusii lomdid er a rengul a kodomo sel bollangel lou papa e lak a chad ----- Pardon me, if I’m sentimental, when we say goodbye Don’t be angry with me, should I cry When you’re gone, yet I’ll dream a little dream as years go by Now and then, there’s a fool such as I Now and then, there’s a fool such as I am over you You taught me how to love you, and now you say we’re through I’m a fool, but I’ll love you dear Until the day I die Now and then, there’s a fool such as I (Translation for Palauan verses and chorus:) Remembering how painful it was as I long to meet with you again But pity me because the father of our children is leaving Just like me trying to hold onto a bubble on the water’s surface and now It breaks at your leaving and I am in pain (C) The promise between a parent and child should continue until the end of life just like a stream that flows from its source to the mangrove channel you just follow your heart while I care for the hearts of our children when they cry for their father, and he isn't there I am holding our child in my arms in the evenings, with tears welling up in my eyes I wonder if you don’t care about our two kids At least visit us occasionally You are lucky, sweetheart, perhaps you can sleep well with the one from before who captured your heart Me, I am rather in pain that follows the hearts of our children when they cry for their “papa,” and no one is there
13.
Bamboo Inn 03:15
(V1) Betik er a renguk el anata e leng diak a me, mekesiur a renguk me ng omoi yosete mo leng kmal di kau a betik er a renguk (C1) Ochedengei di bom chebkak e bo dudidar itial renguk leng kmal di kau a betik er a renguk (V2) Kmal meringel a yamaii yo leng mla rektak e ochedengei sel kebesengei e ng meringel chi me ng diak bok bad el imiit a medak (C2) Ochedengei di bom chebkak e mesengkedang er a kmal di kau e ng uoi meringel a chesebreng (V3) Sel lorael a rekodo e mo lotkid er a ngara mong er a di doilil er a Bamboo Inn e lak a kora me mengesang (C3) Sel morael e ochedengei a renguk a di okikiuellem e ng meral di kau el tang er a renguk --------- You are the one who has found my heart because if you don’t come, my feelings are flat and my heart is with you even more because it is really just you who has found my heart Brother, just pity me and make a connection to this heart of mine because it is really only you who has found my heart This illness of mine is very painful because it was my sickness, oh brother when it is night and my stomach hurts and I can’t close my eyes and go to sleep Brother, just pity me as I waste away over just you and it is rather hard to be broken-hearted When the record plays and it reminds us of the times that have passed when we just played at the Bamboo Inn and nothing came to bother us When you go, brother I think I will walk behind you and it is truly just you who is the one of my heart
14.
Meringel emel eng di dikea belecholt leng diak a mesang meng diak a modengei Mak dirk oltoir eng di dikea er a rengum kol oingera kede lmuut er a smeched Kede dilul kmo kodall a ullebengelel e elechaeng mekeskelang me ke di ousuchiis e kmal mo betik er a renguk Tia rakt emel e mo kodall uriul Meringel emel el kotai er a bedengek sel kebesengei eng me ringelii leng diak kisekau meng molengoech a bedengek bom chub a reng e deluut er a smeched Meringel emel el tomello bedengek e kau a meral diak a bo modengei me sel mesekak eng di ua ke cherroem lelmuk re ngak me a ka el ungil osengek Meringel emel mak uoi mesengkedang Sengerengerel eng diak ku lechesuar me a le klebesei eng diak bol iit a medak er a omeletkek me a di ultirek re kau ----- The hurt inside just no longer shows because you don’t see and don’t know it I still love you, but I’ve lost your heart just when will we return again to what we had? We said that death would be the end of us and now what is going wrong? You just avoid the fact that you were really the one who found my heart This sickness inside will last after my death The hurt inside is the result to my body of that night when you came and hurt it because I didn’t see you and it made me feel faint have mercy and return us to the way we were again The hurt inside, which is starting to break my body you really won’t understand and when you see me, and it’s just like I’m your enemy who silences me and is not a good sight to me The hurt inside is causing me to get rather thin My body is hungry but I am not aware of it and it is night and I can’t fall asleep because of my memories and just my love for you
15.
Ak kora oureng er a soak e ng diak ema renguk a di mekikngit mak di ourureng e di mengeuid er a renguk Bechesiil a kilsang el soad mei diak er a rengud e di mekngit er kid meng uchul a rektel ku er renguk E ngak a uoi meringel me lektel aikal rengud E ng tomella bedenged e meng kmal ngoio bedengek me a renguk Bechesiil a renguk ak mo di beot a lak er a rengum e ng chesebreng er a renguk Meringel emel mo rakt uriul Ak di melekoi e mesubed a renguk mak ior a renguk a di mekikngit ak di mengeuid er a rengud medengei el kau a ng diak a rengum A kuldengei e o- chedengei el kmo ngdiak lebol ungil a besul e ak di mla melai er a renguk E ng uoi chebuul el mengedeau Tia kid a ule- bengel a keleng saingo no wakare Mak di chumur ku er renguk e kede mo kebii Me bo dekebii e o- chedengei mo er a aikel soad E ngak a uleiul a eolt el di mengkekebelung ------ I kind of hope for what I want and not for what makes my heart feel rather poorly Instead, I’m just nostalgic / with confusion in my heart Sweetheart, I came to realize that what we wanted became inconsiderate and just our sinfulness is the source of the sickness that infects my heart And I rather feel the pain of the recollection in these hearts of ours and it is beginning to hurt our bodies and taking over my heart and soul Sweetheart, I said that I would go on easily without your heart but there is a pain in my heart A hurt inside that will turn into sickness later I just speak and accept that the choice is mine whether or not my heart breaks I am just confusing both of our hearts knowing that you are heartless I know it to be true, my love That my heart will not be improving in the future And I just tried to persuade myself That it is why I am miserable and unfocused This is its end as, perhaps, it is the last time that we part My heart is just about to break as we separate from each other We will separate, sweetheart to go to the things that we each want to do and I am like a destructive wind as I act out my foolishness
16.
Adidil e ochedengei kurrenges a chais er a merael chisem leng kora ngodech a rengum me ke di ousubes a mla sidai Bedengek me a renguk a mle chemau kau e ke dorderta mle ungil besul e chelechae ke merort ema medengei el kmo kid a chad er a beluu Bechesiil e kau a ngeltengat el bai merort e di ungil besum e dikea molebedebek er a deleuiil e kid a chad er a beluu A kuldengei e ochedengei el kmo ng diak er a rengum a lomelemii e kede bai mle kasmesumech er a telkib e wakare masio ----- Thinking about my sweetheart I hear the news that is going around your news that you have had a change of heart and you just overlook the relationship we had My body and heart were faced toward you and you started to cut me off so that you could get in a better position and now you separate from me knowing that we are people of the same village Sweetheart, you are fortunate instead, divorcing to improve your position you no longer think about our relationship as people of the same village I understand, sweetheart that it is not in your heart to follow a straight path and we instead said our departing words that our separation would be a bit preferable
17.
Tutau er a bo dekasmesumech e bo dekebii er a oluk el bad Ki bom diderekl er a sambas e a eolt a meses el ongos Kele ng kerior milukel ema a lorreked a remekedung lomes Ki di liluk el bek el chad e mocha doiderekl Maki belual ku Mekaeb e sechelei ng metemall a bilas Ki di mengituuk er a kika e a sils a kebesengei Lengelakl el llel a kerrekar e ak longela louroachel kmo ng bai derengul el tang kuk mo motechakl er a belumam Mal suebek a charm er a melidiul Ak lmangel loureng a adidil Ko el lodengei tekoi me desmechii mel bol subedeterir Te chebuul el ta te diak lodengei chised el kmo ke doibecheklang Di mengiil a di klsuul eng me a chisel ku kodelled ----- Morning, when we say farewell to each other and we separate from each other as if cut with a stone knife We go to load onto the boat at the pier and the wind is strong from the east I wonder if misfortune came down on us who held onto each other dearly as the well-behaved people watch? We were just silent, like everyone, as they are beginning to board the boat And we are about to the area of Mekaeb friend, when our boat broke down We tinkered with the starter motor for the engine and the day became night The leaves of a tree pass by and I am starting to cry deliriously that lucky is the one who almost goes drifting toward our village The bird in the sky is really flying I cry wishing for what connected us If only it knew language and we could send a message and go tell them They are the poor ones, those who don’t know our news that you are starting to cross over Just wait, it is only a lie the news of our impending death
18.
Klamiokel berrous a mle lokisak Kerdel a btuch me a didichel mengiil re kau Natsukasi anata no ka oi e leng meral di uai a di kumes ku rengii Adidil e darling kulatk a kurusii Meral lonely place el Airai Village Kmocha era Uchul a Ngas e nangame era Ngewaol Bai rengul a aikel bilas mochang malta e te kuk mo me te mesterir Delebeakl watasi el tada hitori ----- A beautiful dream has awakened me The star’s flame and its ray of light wait for you Dear sweetheart, you are looking unwell because it’s truly just like I see what is about to be Remembering back, my darling I remember the pain Airai Village is a very lonely place I am just arriving at Uchul a Ngas and looking toward the horizon at Ngewaol Lucky are those boats going that way perhaps they will see them This curse is a private affair Leaving me a person alone
19.
Adidil eng adidil kuureng er a soak e dibe ak bong kol mo ngera cheldechulel a kuchais a chisek re kau Toku hanarete Koichi i anata Itsumo ku kabena U yasasii sungata Adidil eng kebesengei mak mo mekerang itial renguk el mo ngdiak kulebedebek er a Bechesiil el uoi mengam a reng ----- Remembering back If I hoped for what I wanted, I just went for it Like, how will it be done, me telling my news about you? The benefit of being apart from you Koichi, my sweetheart Is when you return I see your graceful image Remembering that evening what do I do with this heart of mine? that won’t stop remembering back to my sweetheart who broke my heart
20.
Mangketang 02:40
Kuureng er a llemelted mo omerolled me a oiloled er a uchul a chang er a Mangtekang me a denga er ngii e ke domes el mor Ngerur me a Ngerechebal Mak kora mlo mengeuid e mousubes Cheldechedechad el kmal betok e mak di medengei me oiloled e ochedengei me aikel mle kingelled Aikel mle kingelled el uchul a ngas a mekelekeltang leng keteketel el di diak a debong Kol oingerang kede momes eng dikea bok merur Me eng dikea bok merur e melebedebek er a osioled el ngar emel a Mangtekang e dikea mei me bo desa e di ngera ikal moruul ----- I wish for our right to take our journey to the place we play at the base of the jetty at Mangtekang and it is there where we look out toward Ngerur and Ngerechebal I kind of made a mistake, so forgive me Our stories are many, and only I know and our place to play, sweetheart those were our places Those that were our places at the foot of the Ngas tree are getting cold because what we built together, we no longer go to it When can we see each other and no longer be ashamed? And I will no longer be ashamed to remember our proper place is just inside Mangtekang and we will no longer come and see it and what have you been doing?

about

Ngirchoureng — Jim Geselbracht and Tony Phillips — perform songs from the Republic of Palau, written in the 1930s thru the 1960s, accompanied by acoustic guitar, mandolin and fiddle in the "old-skuul" style captured on the 1960s Ngerel Belau (local radio station) recordings. Ngirchoureng (ŋirʔouréŋ) translates to “Mr. Hopeful,” and is taken from Kodep Kloulechad’s song “Bai Derengul a Eolt.” While Jim and Tony are both Americans, Jim was first exposed to Palauan music in the early 1980s when he was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Palau. Jim has been intently studying this music for the past two years, especially the music composed before and just after World War II. Tony is new to Palauan music, but after listening to the 1960s Ngerel Belau recordings and following some of Jim’s transcriptions, he — as our friend Yuki Rengchol would say — “just goes with the flow’ and plays the mandolin parts he imagines the past Palauan string musicians might have played.

Palau is an island nation in the Western Pacific located east of the Philippines and southwest of Guam. Palau is geographically part of the Western Caroline Islands, which, in turn, are a part of Micronesia. Palau has a current population of about 20,500 people, of which about 70% are native Palauans. It is estimated that another 7,000 Palauans live outside of Palau, primarily in the United States.

Palau was first settled about 3000 to 4500 years ago and developed a unique culture and language (the Palauan language). While there was early interaction with other Micronesian islands and Malay traders, significant exposure to Western cultures started when a British sea captain (Captain Henry Wilson) and his crew wrecked their ship in 1783 in the archipelago, followed by friendly interactions between the British and Palauans while the British sailors rebuilt their ship.

Music in Palau can be subdivided into traditional (chuodel el chelitakl) and modern (beches el chelitakl). Traditional music consists of chants. While Palauan chants are historical (and pre-historical), some continue to exist in Palauan society today fulfilling specific cultural roles. In general, the chants are recitations of significant stories with very little melodic variation and the actual melody is on a bending melodic scale, varying in pitch above and below what to Western ears would be actual notes of a scale. The performance of chants is highly structured, with the appropriate chant being performed by the appropriate person at the appropriate time. The lyrics of the chants are, for the most part, ancient, with no identified author. In fact, in some cases, the chant lyrics are believed to be the creation of the gods (chelid). It is generally held that the old chants form a closed body of texts and that no additions may now be made. Much of the language in the traditional chant lyrics is archaic (words not in current use in Palau) or esoteric, so the bulk of the exact words may not be understood by contemporary Palauan listeners and, possibly, by the chanter himself.

Palau was made a part of the Spanish East Indies in 1885, and then sold to Germany in 1899 following Spain’s defeat in the Spanish-American war. While the Spanish influence in Palau was primarily religious in nature, the Germans established several commercial operations within Palau, including the development of phosphate mines on the southern island of Angaur beginning in 1909. The Germans imported labor from other Caroline Islands (notably Chuuk and Yap) as well as from Indonesia, the Philippines, China and Guam to augment the Palauan labor force in the phosphate mines. This cultural mix of people working and living together in Angaur resulted in profound changes to the music of Palau, creating a new form of music (beches el chelitakl) that celebrated love, heartbreak and village loyalty in newly-composed songs, whose melodies were mostly borrowed from other cultures. This new music in Palau supplemented, rather than replaced, the older chanted music and was (and still is) performed where people gather to relax or party in both informal settings and at dance clubs and customary gatherings.

Outside control of Palau passed from Germany to Japan in 1914 as a part of the League of Nations South Pacific Mandate following Germany’s defeat in World War I. The Japanese began to settle in Palau in the 1920s and developed a colonial government and a local economy. The Japanese language was taught to Palauans in school and Japanese language and culture had a great impact on the local language and music. The lyrics for most of the songs on this CD contain a mix of Japanese and Palauan language. Palau became a major battle site in World War II and following the war most of the Japanese settlers were repatriated to Japan, although people of mixed Palauan-Japanese descent, resulting from the substantial inter-marriage between Palauans and Japanese settlers, were allowed to remain. In 1947 Palau became a part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (TTPI), under the control of the United States. The people of Palau approved a new constitution forming the Republic of Palau in 1981 and ratified a Compact of Free Association with the US in 1994, finally dissolving the TTPI.

The songs on this CD are representative of modern Palauan music (beches el chelitakl) and were composed in the period of the 1930s through the 1960s. While “new” music, the songs we are playing are actually considered the “oldies,” since they were composed and first sung when the current elders of the community were young. There is a general sense on the island, especially among the older Palauans, that these old songs are special, unlike the Palauan songs composed over the past 20 years, as they tell stories with a subtlety that is representative of the culture. Where we know the name of the composer, we have included that in these liner notes, but in many cases, the source of these old songs was never documented, and multiple people may be attributed to be the composer of a single song. Transcriptions of the lyrics (in Palauan and Japanese) are provided here along with translations into English made by Jim Geselbracht, with much help from others.

Tony and Jim went to Palau in March 2018 and played music in public and private venues as they tried to learn more about the history of this music and to meet and play with some of the original performers. The songs on this CD were the ones they played during the trip. The sound of the guitar and mandolin playing these old songs — a sound that has been replaced in modern Palau by the electronic keyboard — helped remind the listeners who were old enough to remember of the ones who originally made this music and are no longer with us: Neterio Henry, Kyoshi Ngirangol, Akiwo Ngiratechekii, Aichi Ngirchokebai, Tadao Tadong and many, many others. And for those who are too young to have previously heard the music of the 1960s, we hope you enjoyed these sounds of the past.

We present this music with humility and respect for those who created a new musical style from the outside influences that shaped Palau in the 20th century and hope that it brings to our listeners a connection through which to welcome and celebrate the past. — Jim Geselbracht, June 2018

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released June 20, 2018

Instrumentation: Jim Geselbracht on guitar and vocals and Tony Phillips on mandolin unless otherwise noted

Cover photo by Ongerung Kambes Kesolei taken of us performing at the Night Market, Koror Palau, March 2018.

Recorded and Produced by Jim Geselbracht in Oakland CA, May 2018

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Ngirchoureng Oakland, California

Ngirchoureng — Jim Geselbracht and Tony Phillips — perform songs from the Republic of Palau, written in the 1930s thru the 1960s, accompanied by acoustic guitar, mandolin and fiddle in the "old-skuul" style captured on the 1960s Ngerel Belau (local radio station) recordings. Ngirchoureng (ŋirʔouréŋ) translates to “Mr. Hopeful,” and is taken from Kodep Kloulechad’s song “Bai Derengul a Eolt.” ... more

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