TIFA 2023 at National Concert Hall, Taiwan 《小島大歌LIVE》2023 台灣國際藝術節 - 國家音樂廳
Culture is the framework through which we understand our relationship to our social and physical environments. It is our shared patterns of behavior, interactions, and beliefs. Fluid, ever evolving and whether we are aware of it or not, it is the core of our guiding personal narratives, our sense of self.
Our dominant global culture is failing us. Our planet’s natural ecosystem on which we depend for our very survival, is collapsing around us. The evidence is tangible, lived and indisputable. Yet we fail to respond with the resolve and urgency that nature, that our future generations demand, challenging and questioning our sense of self.
Those of the ocean have maintained successful communities on fragile islands for countless generations and their cultural lineage embodies this. Small Island Big Song is an ensemble of such people, artists who against all sensible mainstream cultural advice have made a choice to sing foremost in the language and maintain the musical sensibilities of their heritage. They are the songkeepers continuing an unbroken cultural lineage back to their first ancestors to step, sleep, die and be born on their homelands. Their music embodies this knowledge, and as with music itself it is only revealed through movement as it is shared, through your listening it lives.
We left our jobs after Chrismas 2015, over the next 3 years, with our cameras and microphones, we traveled to 16 island nations, visiting musicians to record songs with them in nature. We journeyed these songs from island to island for other musicians to contribute to, over the years collaborating with over a hundred Austronesian musicians. These songs and connections became the foundations of the project, a feature length music film and our debut self-titled album ‘Small Island Big Song’.
From 2020 to 2021, throughout the pandemic, we kept busy meeting online from our different islands (and time zones!) from across the Pacific & Indian oceans to share the voice of our island homes, our lived experiences of environmental change, writing & producing our second album ‘Our Island’.
Some of us will lose our island homes to rising sea levels and all of us are witnessing the death of our reefs and disappearing sea life, it’s soul destroying. Our response is to share that loss in song, supporting each other and you, the listener, but also to celebrate nature and our cultures. We do live in extraordinarily beautiful places and we want to share that, too. We have to, for our island we all share.
Taiwan is the origin of Austronesian seafaring culture. Indigenous Taiwanese people have long and deep cultural ties with people of the Pacific and Indian Ocean. Small Island Big Song is not only a music project, but a community, and a much needed voice of action for our time.
People say the ocean separates us,
We say the ocean unites us.
By BaoBao Chen & Tim Cole
Co-founders of Small Island Big Song
Set list 演出曲目
為彼此歌唱(small Island mix) Senasenai a Mapuljat (small Island mix)
團結 Marasudj
自然 Pinagsanga
煤 Sarbon
馬達加斯加 Gasikara (small island mix)
停止 Aoka
連結土地 Tu Kelekele (aka. Grounded)
－中場休息 Intermission －
祖靈之歌 Selo Maleo
豐收歌 Harvest song
彼此找到 Madjadjumak
來自過去 Mai Anamua
我們的祖先 Listwar Zanset
海洋的哀悼 Lament for the dying ocean
海洋的慶典 Festival of the living ocean
Meet the Team 演出暨製作團隊
Taiwan 台灣 - 陳玟臻 BaoBao Chen
共同發起人Co-founder、製作人Producer、攝影Cinematography、舞台監督Stage Manager
Having produced and curated international tours across 17 countries in Europe, the USA, Asia and Oceania, involving up to 13 artists from 8 Indo-Pacific island nations, whilst releasing music albums, and bringing a feature film to screen, Chen is one of Taiwan’s most prominent producers of cross-cultural arts projects and an ISPA (International Society for the Performing Arts) fellow 2023-25.
陳玟臻帶領小島大歌從一個點子到至今大型國際共製計畫，跨音樂、影像、表演藝術領域，並策劃、執行近百場至四大洲、十七個國家的演出，現場觀眾超過20萬人。她是ISPA國際表演藝術協會2023-25台灣夥伴 ISPA Taiwan Fellow，並曾入圍澳洲世界最棒工作。
Australia 澳洲 - Tim Cole 提姆柯爾
共同發起人Co-founder、藝術總監Artistic Director、視覺設計Visual Design、攝影Cinematography、外場音控FOH Sound Engineer、視訊VJ
Cole is an Australian music producer and filmmaker who’s passionate about cross-cultural arts projects. He has produced numerous albums, films and concerts for Australian aboriginal, Torres Strait islander and Pacifica artists, as well as toured internationally with Circus Oz for 8 years as a theater and sound designer.
Cole是來⾃澳洲墨爾本的跨文化音樂製作⼈及影像工作者。他曾擔任澳洲原住民音樂家Archie Roach的聲音及舞台影像設計、於南太平洋萬那杜拍攝製作音樂紀錄片、於巴布亞紐幾內亞製作音樂專輯及演唱會設計，並擔任澳洲表藝團體Circus Oz的聲音設計及劇場音控，八年間巡迴國際頂尖舞台，包括紐約百老匯、倫敦南岸。
Amis people of Taiwan 台灣阿美族 - Putad
Vocals人聲、Tapelik木沙盒、Kabosy Bass四弦琴貝斯、Garamut木鼓、Kundu單面鼓、Ravanne手鼓、Dance舞蹈
In the proud spirit of her indigenous Amis heritage, Putad unites ancient vocal traditions with raw energy of grunge, rock and punk, as her band Outlet Drift express. Since joining SIBS in 2020, she has become one of the feature artists and has toured across four continents with the ensemble.
Putad是來自台東阿美族的樂團「漂流出口」女主唱及貝斯手，擅長使用傳統古調元素創作。在與小島大歌世界巡演期間寫作的歌曲〈Maracecay 合而為一〉獲2022年原創流行音樂「原住民語類首獎」。
Paiwan people of Taiwan 台灣排灣族 - Sauljaljui 戴曉君
Vocals人聲、Moon lute月琴、Nose flute鼻笛、Garamut木鼓、Calabash葫蘆鼓、Guitar吉他、Kundu單面鼓
In 2009, a typhoon devastated Sauljaljui’s community, her response was to write “Lament of Colored Cloth” a song which enabled the village to unite their tragedy and recover. SIBS met Sauljaljui at a music festival in Taiwan in 2016. She later became featured on both of the albums and world concerts tours.
Sauljaljui是來自屏東石門部落的創作歌手，有著渾厚又不失溫暖的嗓音，兩張創作專輯曾入圍金曲獎、金音獎。自2016年參與小島大歌之後，參與兩張專輯的合創，隨計畫巡迴世界，並與南島音樂家共同創作、演出、生活交流。
Mauritius 模里西斯 - Emlyn
Vocals人聲、Ravanne手鼓、Calabash葫蘆鼓、Marravan木沙盒、Triangle三角鐵、Dance傳統舞蹈
Featured on CNN, Emlyn is leading a wave of performers across the Indian Ocean proudly reclaiming their unique Sega rhythms and cultural mix. SIBS didn’t meet Emlyn ‘physically’ until Jan 2022 (we all know why!), two years after they started working together, and have toured with her across four continents since.
Emlyn是一位新一代引領印度洋Sega音樂的歌手及舞者，在男性為主的音樂界，闢出了一道讓人驚艷的女性道路。小島大歌於2016年造訪模里西斯後開啟合作緣分，自2020年加入小島大歌計畫之後參與歌曲合創、四大洲巡演，已成為計畫靈魂音樂人之一。
Tokelau/Aotearoa(New Zealand) 托克勞群島/紐西蘭 - Oliva Foa’i
Vocals人聲、shaker沙鈴、Ipu葫蘆鼓、Dance傳統舞蹈
As part of the internationally acclaimed Polynesian band - Te Vaka, Foa’i has performed across 40 countries and is featured on Disney's "Moana” soundtrack. Cole and Chen worked with Foa’i at a concert at Sydney Opera House back in 2013, and she’s finally joining SIBS at TIFA.
Foa’i 是一位詞曲創作歌手及舞者，她是玻里尼西亞知名樂團Te Vaka創始人Opetaia Foa’i的女兒，她同時是迪士尼動畫 ’Moana海洋奇緣’ 原聲帶中的主唱之一。小島大歌於2013年與Foa’i在雪梨歌劇院的一場演出開啟合作緣分。
Madagascar 馬達加斯加 - Sammy
Vocals人聲、Kabosy四弦琴、Jejy葫蘆琴、Valiha竹管琴、Sodina笛、Garamut木鼓、shakers沙鈴、Dance傳統舞蹈
Sammy followed his passion for Madagascar’s musical heritage by mastering and making most of Madagascar’s instruments. His band ‘Tarika Sammy’ was recognized as one of the world’s “Best Ten Bands”, alongside U2, by TIME Magazine. SIBS met Sammy in Madagascar in 2016 & 2017. He’s featured in both albums and concert tours around the world since 2018.
當電吉他、爵士鼓開始流行的時候，Sammy堅持手作並彈奏傳統樂器，這樣的堅持讓他的樂團Tarika Sammy在九零年代被TIME雜誌列為世界十大樂團，與天團U2並列。小島大歌於2016、2017年兩次造訪馬達加斯加，Sammy至今參與兩張專輯合創，並隨計畫巡演十多個國家。
Papua New Guinea 巴布亞紐幾內亞 - Richard Mogu
Vocals人聲、Garamut木鼓、Kundu單面鼓、Conch海螺、Kwakunba竹笛、Ravanne手鼓、Kabosy Bass四弦琴貝斯
Mogu is a master of traditional and contemporary instruments including the Kwakumba flute, Garamut drum, and PNG’s iconic Kundu drum. Cole and Mogu have been long-time collaborators; they met up again during SIBS’s field trip to PNG in 2016. He’s featured in both albums and concert world tours.
Mogu是著名的音樂家、教育家，精通傳統木鼓Garamut、單面鼓Kundu、口笛Kwakunba及現代樂器。Mogu與Cole合作多年後，終於在2016年小島大歌造訪巴布亞紐幾內亞時再次相遇，至今已參與小島大歌兩張專輯的合創及世界巡演。
Mauritius 模里西斯 - Manu Desroches
Vocals人聲、Ravanne手鼓、Calabash葫蘆鼓、Kabosy四弦琴、Kabosy Bass四弦琴貝斯、Garamut木鼓、Kundu單面鼓
