The Lani Singers

The Lani Singers

The Lani Singers are a choir from the remote central highlands of West Papua in the south-west Pacific. They are associated with the Lani people and their songs draw on sacred tribal rituals and traditions. The group’s membership includes Benny Wenda and Maria Wenda.

Their music reflects both ceremonial life and the political experience of West Papuans. It is rooted in the practices of the Lani tribe, while also expressing the struggle of people living under Indonesian occupation. The group is linked to West Papua’s long-running campaign for self-determination and to the wider history of violence and displacement in the region since the Indonesian invasion of 1963.