The cultural project of the Tao tribe of Taiwan tours Europe
Two artistic groups from Taiwan’s Tao tribe toured Europe, underscoring the government’s dedication to the international promotion of the nation’s indigenous culture.
The Tao Culture and Entertainment Project tour was jointly supported by the Ministry of Culture, the Cultural Section of the Taipei Representative Office in the Federal Republic of Germany and the Austrian iKultur, based in Vienna.
Connecting the past and present
Two artistic groups, Sound of the Ocean, from Orchid Island, and Wild Thing, finalist for the 33rd Golden Melody Award, performed in Vienna, Austria and Vilnius and Jonava.
Sound of the Ocean features two male singers and eight female dancers who performed the famous Hair Dance and the Ceremonial Hat Dance to the rhythm of the songs. Wild Thing is a young band from Orchid Island whose unique style mixes their cultural heritage with hard rock.
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iKultur curators Lin Weiya and Johannes Kretz have been researching the music and culture of Orchid Island since 2007. The theme of this year’s project is “Connection and Narrative,” using music to show the dialogue between Tao culture of the past and present.
The Tao Culture and Interpretation Project combines historical recordings collected by the Academia Sinica and the Center for Ethnomusicological Research in Paris, France to showcase the indigenous spoken language in combination with contemporary art, in order to preserve and develop the indigenous tribal culture of Taiwan.
Sound of the Ocean concluded the tour with their participation in the traditional song and dance festival We Are Happy, held in Jonava, Lithuania, on June 1.
