In February 1983 the most popular song of the adolescents of Tauwema was ‘Imdeduya’. It is a rather schmaltzy song with four stanzas, a refrain, a lovely melody, and the following lyrics:

1.)

When the moon rises from the east

I had a dream of you my love:

Labi gibobwaili, I spoke words of love

Please remember me!

Take me down to Vau,

let me travel along the coast,

come along with me tonight

before you change your mind.

Refrain (repeated after every stanza)

Imdeduyo, Imdeduyo, Imdeduyo, Imdeduyo,

kwanvedi, bakenu. move a bit, I will lie down.

Yegu Yolina. I am Yolina.

Levavegu kesa’i, They hit me the waves,

nemtamata vovogu. tiredness (is in my) body

Imdeduyo, Imdeduyo, Imdeduyo, Imdeduyo,

kwanvedi, bakenu. move a bit, I will lie down.

2.)

Kalasila isalili - The sun goes down -

niva’ila wa idamu calm sea only smooth sea.

Ikeboku ula simla - It is calm (not windy) my island –

deli wala kayoyugu. with (me there’s) only my sorrow.

3.)

Tubukona iyuvola The moon rises

mapilana obomatu - at this side of the east -

madagila visigala - very nice it shines -

iomau ninamaisi. it is sad for their minds.

4.)

Yum yam, wiki wiki, Day (after) day, week (after) week,

tubukona - taitu taitu. month - year (after) year.

Akayoyu ulo valu - I fly to my village -

avaituta bagisi? when will I see you (again)?

I liked the song, transcribed it, and sang it accompanying myself with my accordion.

The people of Tauwema enjoyed my playing their song, and one evening after I had finished my ‘performance’, Gerubara, one of chief Kilagola's sons, came to me and told me a 20 minute long version of the story of Imdeduya and Yolina. Thus I learned that the lyrics of the song which was classified as a ‘wosi tauwau topaisewa’ – a ‘song about migrant workers (from the Trobriands)’ refers with the protagonists’ names and in its refrain to one of the most important myths of the Trobriand Islands. In the song Yolina has turned into a worker who lives far away from the Trobriands in another part of Papua New Guinea but hopes to fly back one day to see his sweetheart Imdeduya again.