The Indian and Pacific Oceans share a vast, ancient and little known heritage, spanning 5,000 years and covering over half the Earth’s surface.

Artist Tim Cole and producer BaoBao Chen have spent the past eighteen months recording songs and filming with first nation artists on their land, with their guidance, across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Over a hundred artists have been listening to and sharing songs, adding their musical response, creating a rich and unique cultural synthesis of this vast region. Too precious to lose.

In a premiere presentation, Small Island Big Song will bring together artists from Madagascar to Rapa Nui (Easter Island), from Taiwan to Papua New Guinea, in person and in cinematic presence, woven together by “Son et lumière” artist, Tim Cole, in a live cinema experience. (Work in Progress)

太平洋和印度洋共享著一個顯為人知的文明，超過五千年，跨越地球的兩端。

藝術家提姆柯爾（Tim Cole）和製作人陳玟臻（BaoBao Chen）花費了一年半的時間，走訪了兩大洋上十四個島國的原民部落，以獨特的活火山、紅樹林、雨林、海上村莊為背景，錄下古老或是現代歌曲的吟唱，並拍攝記錄下來。超過百位音樂家透過耳機和錄音檔，與彼此分享音樂，並加入合聲及樂器演奏，最後由提姆柯爾後製，創造出首首融合古老和現代，跨越距離和國界，重現島嶼間共享文化脈絡，又風格各異的歌曲。

這場小島大歌概念首演，將是音樂家們第一次不再需要耳機，能夠面對面地玩音樂，提姆柯爾也將以Son et lumière的方式，結合影像投影及聲音設計，帶領大家從馬達加斯加到復活節島，從臺灣到巴布亞新幾內亞，一場跨領域及地域的體驗。

Production 演出與製作團隊

Small Island Big Song is a music and film project uniting the Indian and Pacific oceans through songs. It’s also a dream to a couple, two and half years ago, to address current environmental issues and to strenghten indigenous knowledge in this region. The goal is to produce powerful, organic, unique, and authentic artwork, reuniting this region, which share a common heritage and originated from Taiwan 5,000 years ago.
http://www.smallislandbigsong.com/

小島大歌是一個以歌曲串連印度洋和太平洋的音樂影像計畫，同時也是一對couple兩年半前的夢想，透過音樂發聲，集結力量，回應兩大洋現今面臨的氣候變遷以及原住民知識消逝的議題。小島大歌以製作出獨特、有機、真實、古老又現代的音樂為初衷，同時說一段五千年前由台灣原住民祖先航向未知，最終散佈兩大洋的故事。

Tim Cole, Australia
Tim Cole is an Australian music producer/theatre visual designer/film director specialising in cross cultural indigenous arts projects - filmed, recorded and produced in the field, independently. His work has led him to some of the most remote and unique cultures of the Asia/Pacific region producing award winning projects including ‘Tabaran’ filmed in the shadow of a Papua New Guinean volcano, ‘Pintupi’, with the last Aboriginal tribe to leave their nomadic lifestyle and ‘Vanuatu Women’s Water Music’, directing a feature film capturing the unique culture of the Banks Islands, Vanuatu.

Artistic Director: Tim Cole, Australia
Producer, Project Manager: BaoBao Chen, Taiwan
sape’, vocals: Alena Murang, Malaysia
Kundu, Garamut, Pate drums: Ben Hakalitz, Papua New Guinea
Ukulele, vocals: Yoyo Tuki, Rapa Nui (Easter Island) 
Panpipe, Shakers, vocals: Charles Maimarosia, Solomon Islands
Son et Lumiere artist: Tim Cole, Australia 
Qoqaw, Pgagu, vocals: Piteyo Ukah, Taroko, Taiwan

 

Performing Artists

Alena Murang, Sarawak, Malaysia: sape’, vocals

Alena is singer-songwriter, sape’ player, entrepreneur and part Kelabit. Learning from Kelabit elders, She has performed and shared these dying art forms in USA, Korea, Europe and Malaysia. We recorded with Alena on her homeland on upper reaches of the Rainforest in Feb’ 2017.

Ben Hakalitz, Bougainville, Papua New Guinea: Kundu, Garamut, Pate

Ben is a highly respected veteran of the Melanesian music scene, member of the Tribe of Jubal, Melanfunk, and the drummer of Yothu Yindi. We recorded with Ben on his homeland village and filmed deep in the mangroves in Bougainville in Sep’ 2016.

Yoyo Tuki, Rapa Nui (Easter Island): Ukulele, vocals

Yoyo Tuki is a singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist. He has released three solo album and featured at AWME the Australasia World Music Expo, Tapati Rapa Nui and Toata Tahiti. We recorded with Yoyo & family’s home, surrounded by standing stones, in Tyagarah in Apr’ 2016.

Piteyo Ukah, Taroko, Taiwan: Qoqaw, Pgagu, vocals

Piteyo is a singer-songwriter and cultural authority. He and his partner have dedicated their 20 years running the Ketusan Studio, producing music and theater performances. We recorded with Piteyo on his homeland up in the gorge in Jun’ 2016.

Charles Maimarosia, Malaita, Solomon Islands: Panpipe, Shakers, vocals

Charles is the former lead singer songwriter from the Narasirato Pan Pipes Band, toured to Glastonbury UK, Fuji Rock Japan, Austronesian Music Festival Taiwan, BlueFest Australia and countless more. We recorded with Charles in the rainforest near Melbourne in Mar’ 2016.

 

Production Team

Tim Cole, Australia: Artistic Director, Son et Lumiere artist

Tim Cole is an Australian music producer/theatre visual designer/film director specializing in cross cultural indigenous arts projects - filmed, recorded and produced in the field, independently. His work has led him to some of the most remote and unique cultures of the Asia/Pacific region producing award winning projects. As a visual and sound designer Tim has also toured with theatre productions to Broadway New York, Southbank London, a Bullring Barcelona, Sydney Opera House, Taipei Art Festival and over 30 venues around the world.

BaoBao Chen陳玟臻, Taiwan: Producer, Project Manager
BaoBao is a producer, social media publicist (with 150k Facebook followers), writer, young entrepreneur and public speaker from Taiwan with a Business Administration degree and fluent in  Mandarin and English. She has given TEDx Talk and worked in XueXue Institute in Taipei, 798 Art Zone in Beijing and numerous arts festivals across Australia.

 

Thank you

Solomon Islands Embassy| Create NSW Australia| Joe Sidek Production | Hamish Skermer Family

 

 

---

Photo Credit: Small Island Big Song 小島大歌