Senin, 21 Desember 2020

Homesick farm workers from Kiribati lift morale by singing in Tasmanian vegetable fields - ABC News

Kiribati farm workers in northern Tasmania have formed an accidental choir after they started singing in the fields to keep their spirits high.

The workers from the small Pacific nation are based in the rolling green hills of Forth, on a vegetable farm, where they are bringing a little of their culture to the paddocks.

The unofficial leader of the choir is Romme Tabwere, also known as Jerry, and he usually leads the group of workers into song while they are in the field.

A young man grins and gives the thumbs up as he squats next to plants growing in a field.
Romme Tabwere, known as Jerry, is the unofficial leader of the choir.(ABC Northern Tasmania: Fred Hooper)

"It all started whenever we had a hard time in the field, so we just start singing and all is good," Mr Tabwere said.

"Most of the time I did start a song and all of the boys just follow me up."

A group of men in casual clothes, some wearing high-vis, stand hand in hand singing in a farm field.
The choir was formed after workers from Kiribati started singing in the fields.(ABC Northern Tasmania: Fred Hooper)

Far from loved ones

Many of the workers had hoped to return home in late 2020, but travel restrictions mean they might not be able to see their families until the end of 2021.

Mike Bangao became emotional as he spoke about how much he was missing his two daughters.

A young man smiles as he sits outside a corrugated-iron shed.
Mike Bangao misses his family and hopes to see them soon.(ABC Northern Tasmania: Fred Hooper)

"I have two daughters and they're still waiting for me," Mr Bangao said.

"It's really hard to think about them."

He said regular video calls and singing had helped to relieve some of his sorrow, and had made the working days pass more easily.

"The first time they [his daughters] saw me [singing], they rang me and they said, 'So you can sing now?'."

A young man in a high vis shirt and backward baseball cap smiles as he stands in front of grasses growing in a field.
Roota Ueanimatang, known as Mike, loves singing as he works in the fields.(ABC Northern Tasmania: Fred Hooper)

Singing boosts spirits

Very reserved and quietly spoken, Roota Ueanimatang, known as Mike, explained how the singing lifted the mood of the workers.

"Oh, we just like to sing in the field every day because they want us to [be] happy," Mr Ueanimatang said.

A group of 13 men stand arm in arm as they pose for a group photo in a farm field.
The farm workers formed a choir after their supervisor, Steve Kaine (centre back), heard them singing in the field.(ABC Northern Tasmania: Fred Hooper)

'They sounded great'

Steve Kaine, a supervisor with Harvest Moon where the Kiribati men work, said the singing was not something he had heard before, but he loved it.

"It was a bit strange to hear them at first and, yeah, it sounded really great," Mr Kaine said.

"They do their job so I've got no trouble with them."

A choir is born

After a social media post from the company went viral, Mr Kaine helped the young men to form a choir and now they perform at local music events.

A man in a high vis shirt smiles as he leans on a hay bale in a field.
Supervisor Steve Kaine says he loves hearing the men sing as they work.(ABC Northern Tasmania: Fred Hooper)

"It's been really great and it's something different for them to do instead of sitting at home on the weekends, they're out there having a bit of a sing and meeting different people," Mr Kaine said.

The choir recently performed at the Mount Roland Folk Festival and will be part of Mona Foma 2021.

Performance nerves

Mr Tabwere said the first performance for the workers was daunting, but well worth the experience.

"We feel nervous for the first time but it was something very different and it just makes me feel very good," Mr Tabwere said.

Mr Kaine summed up the story of his workers and their love of singing.

"They sing and they're happy. End of story," he said.

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https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiX2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIwLTEyLTIyL3Rhc21hbmlhbi1mYXJtLXdvcmtlcnMtZnJvbS1raXJpYmF0aS1mb3JtLWNob2lyLzEyOTk4NTQ00gEnaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEyOTk4NTQ0?oc=5

2020-12-22 01:00:00Z
CAIiEJaIS1KXibF7bj21b7heOMoqFwgEKg4IACoGCAow3vI9MPeaCDD7kIkG

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