• BC Christian News • JANUARY ISSUE 2001 • VOL. 21 #1 • Formerly "Christian Info News" •

God is singing the song of the Piraha
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By Glenna Sollenberger

EXCITING things are happening among the Piraha people in the Amazonas region of Brazil. They have had missionaries work with them for years, but have given no response to the gospel -- until recently.

When Dan and Keren Everett came back to Brazil last year to do full-time translation work with the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL), the Piraha showed real interest in their presence in the tribe. When they were in the village building their tribal house last year, more than 100 Piraha gathered.

Still, the spiritual warfare has been really strong. Every time the Piraha saw a filmstrip about Jesus and his resurrection, the spirits would fight back. The Piraha are still just as primitive and isolated as they were when they were first contacted; the spirits have such a strong hold on them.

Earlier this year I gave a lecture on ethnomusicology at a workshop, and for Keren, the light came on. She had been seriously thinking about the role of music in the Piraha culture, and she felt music would be the key. The lecture, especially the part on music and literacy, gave her some ideas.

When the Everetts returned to the village, she asked a lady about singing; she discovered that the woman could easily sing anything she could speak. So Keren asked her to sing the literacy book. People started attending literacy class because they wanted to sing. Keren discovered that, for the Piraha, all important information is communicated by singing. Their singing is directly based on their speech; mothers sing or hum to their children to teach them the tonal system of their language.

Keren was able to use her musical background and tonal analyses to figure out the Piraha music system. During their last village visit in the spring, Keren started singing in Piraha style. People stopped and listened, amazed that she could sing their music style.

I met with Keren, and we considered pertinent cultural factors. Keren had noticed that small children among the Piraha do not sing, and she discovered the reason for this. The spirits of the Piraha give them the ability to sing; people do not start singing until they have their first encounter with the spirits -- through serious illness, or some other means. Then the spirits give them musical ability, and they start singing.

I am really convinced that Keren's singing is a power encounter among the Piraha. Since they believe that music comes from their spirits, Keren's singing is a demonstration of God's power -- because he has given her the same musical gift they get from their spirits. God is using their own music, with its strong association with the spirits that control them, to open their hearts to him.

Now the Everetts are having their best tribal session ever. They have been showing filmstrips of Bible stories, and Keren has continued singing in Piraha style. Recently she reported that, when she woke up one morning, she heard the children singing "God is good." She was moved to tears.

It is inspiring to see the way God is finally answering our prayers for the Piraha.