Nowadays according to the prevailing theory, 5,000 years ago people left Taiwan, sailing over time in canoes around half the globe. They inhabited the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans all the way to Madagascar.
Taiwanese producer BaoBao Chen followed the same routes as his Australian spouse, music producer and filmmaker Tim Colen with. The three-year trips resulted in a documentary and album combining the region’s music Small Island Big Song.
The album has received much praise in the world. German music critics, among others, awarded Small Island Big Songin (2019) as the best record of the year. The prestigious Songlines magazine also rewarded it.
This weekend, the project will be seen at the World in the Village festival.
Chen and Cole met over a hundred musicians on sixteen different islands. The film and album feature 38 bands or musicians. Most of them are folk musicians found by producers.
“We toured the islands mostly by scheduled flights or liners, but sometimes we rented a small plane or canoe. Usually we went to the islands when we heard they have interesting musicians, ”BaoBao Chen says on the phone from Taiwan.
The Malagasy Sammy Andriamalalaharija, who once played in the band Tarika Sammy.
The most famous participant is probably the Malagasy Sammy Andriamalalaharijaona, who was once in the band Tarika Sammy. The band, which later shortened its name to Tarika, even has a Finnish Wikipedia page.
Chen says As Andriamalalaharija, he cycled 30 miles on a bike to participate in the filming.
The documentary shows musicians performing songs and tells them about making them. Chen and Cole filmed it and also recorded all the music on their travels.
“We only had cameras and microphones with us. Local musicians composed and played the song on an island. Then we took it to the next one, where local musicians listened to it and jammed on it. The songs are created that way layer by layer, ”Chen explains.
Taiwanese Sauljaljui (Tai Siao-Chun) in the film Small Island Big Song.
Otherwise as the name of the project says, not all islands are small. For example, the extremes of the project, Taiwan and Madagascar, are four times the size of Finland.
The project does not seek to gather accurate information but provides a romantic dive into the cultures of a geographically vast area.
The result was the peculiar combinations of music from different islands, one of which can be imagined of the millennial kinship of cultures, even though the instruments and languages vary.
Taiwan now known as the state that China considers a rebel province. 98 percent of its population is Han Chinese, who are also China’s largest ethnic group. There are 16 indigenous peoples. Despite their small relative share, there are hundreds of thousands of them.
Chen (b. 1989) grew up in Taiwan on a vegan organic farm and participated Jane Goodallin the Foundation’s Roots and Shoots project, which trains young people to make the world a better place.
From his ethnic background, he belongs to the Hakka Chinese, who are usually bundled together with the Han Chinese in Taiwan. However, the language of the Khakos differs from Han Chinese so much that they do not understand each other. Taiwan has 14 percent of the chips.
“We don’t feel like we’re Chinese, but I don’t belong to the indigenous groups either. We have been here for 400 years. I grew up in a small village on the Pacific coast. At school, a third of my classmates were indigenous, which was exceptional. ”
The Yumi Yet Bamboo band is originally from Papua New Guinea.
Small Island Big Song In the project, Chen and Cole also want to pay attention to the extinction wave, environmental destruction and especially climate change. They are all highly visible in the Oceania and Indian Ocean regions, home to 400 million heirs of Taiwanese culture.
Awakening to the ocean currents of cultures and climate change led Chen and Cole to leave their homes and jobs in Australia and embark on a daring project. They funded it with their savings, grants, and crowdfunding.
“Many know about climate change, but few know anyone affected by it. We saw a lot. The sea rises and narrows farmland. Cyclones, typhoons and other extreme weather events are becoming more common. One village had already had to be moved from the beach to the mountains. ”
Now Chen and Cole are preparing for the next album. Next year, an extensive U.S. tour is planned, which will include workshops and other events at universities in addition to concerts. After that, it would be time for a European tour.
But this weekend, the World in the Village festival presents their documentary and a new concert will take place online featuring five musicians from Taiwan, Mauritius, Tahiti and Madagascar – featuring Sammy Andriamalalaharija.
“Everyone was given ten minutes to perform their songs. Finally, everyone performs together. The last paragraph is made in the same way as in the documentary. It’s the premiere of the first song on the next album. And a Finnish kantele player is also involved Marjo Smolander! ”
The world in the village online 29-30. May. Small Island Big Song documentary on Saturday at 6:50 p.m. (viewable until June 4, up to 500 viewers) and concert on Sunday at 4:45 p.m. (viewable until June 4).
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source https://pledgetimes.com/festivals-the-creators-of-the-award-winning-music-project-wandered-from-island-to-island-for-three-years-now-the-film-and-concert-will-be-seen-at-the-world-in-the-village-festival/
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