The True Story behind PNG's popular Song "Lewa Sogeri" - A love story whereby the girl was caught in between.

by JASON DEIL

THE real story of the song 'Lewa Sogeri'.....sang by Eldiz Mune & Reejay Ragga and liked by many listeners in Papua New Guinea and throughout Pacific! It was written based on a true love story.

The Goroka boy who wrote the song was a boyfriend of a girl from Sogeri. The parents of the Sogeri/Koiyari girl asked the girl to bring her boyfriend home so that they can meet him. The girl was very much in love with her Goroka boyfriend and brought her home to Sogeri. When they were at the parents home, the parents of the girl told the boy that they do not want their daughter to marry him as highlanders are aggressive and do not look after women. They told the boy never to see the girl again and if he does see her again then he will be killed.

 The Goroka boy loved the girl very much but also believed the parents warning as Koiyari's are well known for black power (magic); so he decided against his will and love for girl to give up the girl for good.The parents told the boy to go away but it was very late so he asked them to allow him to sleep outside in the veranda of the house and go back to Pom in the morning.They were really heart broken talked about their relationship.The Goroka boy told the girl that he loved her so much but he cannot marry her because he is afraid of the parents warning to kill him. 

The girl begged him not leave her and marry her to face any problems that may arise together. She said she cannot live without him. But the Goroka boy told her that she will grow up to find love and over time she will forget about him. The girl cried and told him that she will run away with him but the boy said that he will not allow her to come with him.

The next morning the boy got up to leave for POM and the girl begged him again. She cried and pledged with her parents to marry him but they still refused.

 She threatened to kill herself if she was not allowed to marry him; but the parents still told her not to marry him, thinking would not do that. 

The boy left the house to catch a PMV. The girl followed him to the bus stop and begged him to allow her to come with him but the boy told her that their relationship is over. 

Seconds later a bus arrived and he jumped on. As the bus was leaving, she was walked over to the cliff and jumped off and killed herself. The parents thought their daughter ran away with her boyfriend. They went looking for her in the boyfriend's house in POM but he told them that he left her at the bus stop at Sogeri. After searching for her for over a week they could not find her. Then the Goroka boy went with the girl's parents to Sogeri to search for the missing girl. As soon as they arrived at the bus-stop he could hear her calling his name from a distance. He looked around but could not see her. He got ghost pimples all over and sensed her presence around the area . 

Then he went and stood at the spot where he last saw her before leaving her. In a blink of an eye, he saw her walking towards the cliff and calling his name saying 'lewa thanks for coming back for me'.  He walked towards the cliff and smell the rotten and decaying body of the girl, as he got closer to cliff the stronger the rotten smell. He looked down at the cliff and saw her body. He cried out loud and the parents knew that their daughter has committed suicide. Her rotten body was laid to rest. 

Then the Goroka boyfriend wrote the lyrics of the song 'Lewa Sogeri' sang byEldiz Mune & Reejay. This is the true story behind the song lewa sogeri. 

The Moral of the story: Parents shouldn't force their children to go in a relationship with someone of their choice but rather let them make their own decision to choice whom they love. 

Click here to listen to the song "Lewa Sogeri"