but at the time of press tentatively postponed to September due to scheduling conflicts – she also intends to sing many of her songs in Tok Pisin. “I’m not amazing at speaking it,” she tells us with a laugh, “but it’s really important to me that I do sing in Tok Pisin so that it brings, not just our two sides (West Papua and PNG) together, but to shine some light on our beautiful land of Papua LEFT: Lele with her husband and fellow musician Mitch Tambo, and their youngest daughter Phoenix, 3, on the beach at Bowen, near Townsville, Australia, where they shot the video clip for ‘My Island Home’. The Whitsunday region is special to the couple who have visited the area many times for holidays with their family
“I just want to embrace PNG culture. I don’t get to do that”
Christine Anu, and 25 years since it became the unofficial national anthem of the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games closing ceremony. released individual versions of the song – Mitch singing in his Gamilaraay Aboriginal language and Lele singing in Tok Pisin and English, with both On February 7, Mitch and Lele The next generation... Lele (right) and her sisters Petra (left) and Rosa – who made up the band Black Sistaz – reunited with original members of their late father’s band, Black Brothers, in Port Moresby in 2016 to perform at the ‘Legends Come Home’ concert at Sir John Guise Stadium as part of PNG’s 41st independence celebrations. Pictured here at CHM Studios are the girls’ beloved ‘Uncle William’ Ayamiseba (left), and ‘Uncle Benny’ Bettay
putting their own spin on what “home” really means. “This song is not just about my homeland of West Papua; it’s also about my family,” Lele says. “Living in exile, my ‘island home’ is my husband and children.
It was a beautiful way to share my story of yearning for connection with my roots but also finding solace and home in Mitch and our family.” During Lele’s visit to Port Moresby – initially planned for mid-March
and also the whole Melanesian region.
VOLUME 42 2025
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