Taiwanese Aboriginal Music
“When you lift your head to look at the moon, do you still feel moved? The words your ancestors spoke, are they still in your heart?”
-Biung (王宏恩), Moonlight (月光)
Throughout eons of change on this planet Earth, the moon’s daily path has remained a constant element in the night sky. The moon has thus in many societies become a symbol of eternity and solidarity – a constant, heavenly cycle that occurs regularly, regardless of the changes that mortal men inflict upon this Earth. For the aboriginal people of Taiwan, the greatest change in the past few centuries has been the influx of Europeans and mainlanders since the 1600’s. Since then, native Taiwanese aborigines have faced harsh discrimination and have struggled to preserve their traditional culture and identity. In the above lyrics, Biung, a Taiwanese aboriginal singer of the Bunan tribe, asks the people of his tribe to remember the importance of their own aboriginal identity by looking at the moon, because it is one timeless object that has passed over the Bunan people every night since they first appeared on Earth. It is an action that symbolizes that the memories of their past ancestors and traditionals will never be forgotten, and thus, their people’s identity will never perish.
Taiwanese aboriginals today face a society that considers them as low-class citizens. Their extent is now limited to the mountains and least-accessible portions of Taiwan, and few aborigine traditions and practices are existent in mainstream Taiwanese culture. However, as Taiwanese aborigines over the ages have been best known for their singing, creation of music, and dance, their performance of music has played an important role in the struggle for preservation of aborigine identity. From traditional aborigine to modern popular music, aborigines today use what they are best known for, song and dance, to spread knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of their culture to others.
To begin this discussion, a brief history of Taiwanese aborigines must be explained. The island of Taiwan is separated by the Fujian Province of mainland China by the Taiwan Strait. From 10,000 – 6,000 B.C., the ancestors of the people who are now considered Taiwanese aborigines immigrated to the island and settled in the western plains and central mountains, becoming the “lowlanders” and “highlanders,” respectively. These people spoke a language that is considered to be the very first Austronesian language, and began migrating to other Southeast Asian countries as well, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Polynesia, and others. It is speculated that before arriving in Taiwan, these people originally came from mainland China, but since no traces of the Austronesian language have been found in the mainland, it has not been completely accepted that China is the original homeland. Therefore, the people who settled in Taiwan during this time are considered the original inhabitants of the islands, or aborigines (Wikipedia “Taiwanese Aborigines”).
In the 1600’s, the Han Chinese began migrating to Taiwan as a result of a rebellion in China leading to the overthrow of the Ming Dynasty (Wikipedia). About the same time, the Dutch reached Taiwan and opened a branch of the Dutch East India Company in what is now Fort Anping, Tainan. Later, the Spanish also opened a trading fort in what is now Danshui, Taipei. This influx pushed many lowland tribes up into the mountains, and also many tribes began assimilating Han and European elements into their culture, both voluntarily as well as by force. Intermarriage and the desire for aborigines to be accepted in this new mixed society caused the sinicization of many aborigine languages, some of which are completely extinct now. The lowland tribes were the first tribes to become assimilated because of their accessibility by the foreigners, but the highlands tribes did not begin to become heavily influenced until the 1900’s, under influence of the Japanese rule and the KMT (Wikipedia “Taiwanese Aborigines”).
Under the influence of the foreign governments, the aborigine people were pushed further and further back both geographically and in terms of social status. They were referred to by the name of “番” which means “barbarians.” Many different discrimination techniques were used to force the aborigines to gradually assimilate Han and European cultural practices. For example, from 1946-1995, there was an official ban on aboriginal surnames, and it was necessary for aborigines to marry and take on a Han surname in order to become a “legitimate” member of society. This is because in Chinese culture, a Han surname is a credible link to the Yellow Emperor, the emperor who is said to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese (Wikipedia “Yellow Emperor”). Most of the western lowland tribes are now nonexistent or reduced to a minimal population with no surviving spoken language. Aborigines today are still treated as low-class citizens, and only take part in a minimal percentage of Taiwanese governmental seats. Furthermore, in order for each tribe to gain official recognition by the Taiwanese government, they must go through an extensive petition to the Council of Indigenous Peoples, and so far only 14 out of 25 tribes have been successful. These restrictions and discriminations create hardships for the aborigine people in terms of every aspect of daily life. Recently, in the Taipei Times, there was an article describing A-mei aboriginals who had been forced to construct their homes out of abandoned materials outside of Taipei City because they could not afford to live in the city, only to be told by the government that their village must be demolished because it proposed a possible “flood threat” to other parts of Taipei (Iok-sin 1). Their people are constantly pushed to move from place to place, never able to settle into one stable lifestyle, and are merely seen as obstacles that can be gotten rid of if need be. Facing such societal discrimination, it is no wonder that the aborigines feel a need to educate others and spread an understanding of the importance behind their cultural identity.
However, the entire world is now facing an era of globalization and Westernization. How, in this drastically changing world, can the aborigine people conserve what their ancestors have passed down for generations? This is where their best-known talents, singing and dancing, come into play. In Taiwan, aborigines are considered the best singers and performers. Music and dancing is widely used during traditional celebrations and festivities, where all of the inhabitants participate, which is likely one reason why their talent for song and dance is so strong. Despite their discrimination, several aborigine pop singers have even managed to emerge as some of Asia’s hottest stars. Within their struggle to conserve their cultural identity, aborigines on one end of the spectrum try to preserve the traditional elements by continuing to perform traditional dances and music, educating others about the meanings, process, and stories behind these celebrations. On the other end of the spectrum, some aboriginal artists create a fusion of traditional and modern elements to create an aborigine-pop-fusion that appeals the younger mainstream society.
To clarify, the terms “traditional” and “traditional aborigine” music in Taiwan as used in this paper must be first explained to differentiate the two. It must be made clear that “traditional” and “aboriginal” music are not synonymous. Generally speaking, “traditional” Taiwanese music was created by people of Han descent, including sounds, structures, and instruments from mainland China or from the Han who first settled in Taiwan. This “traditional” music would be music passed on throughout the Han people for generations until the present. In contrast, “aborigine” music is created by people of aboriginal descent, and “traditional aborigine” music has been passed down by their ancestors (as opposed to the Han people). In addition to traditional aborigine music, there is also a classification of “pop aborigine” music, which comprises of a fusion of traditional aborigine sounds as well as Han or Westernized sounds. Popular aborigine music originated from the influence of outside cultures on aborigine sounds, and currently is used as a means of gaining ground in the mainstream Taiwanese culture in terms of social acceptance and appreciation.
Perhaps the most famous type of traditional aborigine music in the world of musicology is the eight-tone improvised polyphonic music of the Bunun tribe, “ba bu he yin” (八部合音) in Mandarin (literally, “eight-part combined sounds”). With respect to other aborigine tribes, the Bunun tribe has very few different types of dance and music because they have no unique instruments of their own,
but their tribe’s musical specialty is an improvised harmony of eight different pitches sung at once to create one giant, complex chord. Each singer listens carefully to the pitches of the singers around him, and sings his or her own tone so that it best matches the tones of others. This type of singing is completely unique to the Bunan tribe. The Bunun people originally lived in the northwestern plains of Taiwan, but were pushed further and further east across the mountains and into the eastern coasts of Taiwan, and their people have diminished to such few numbers that their unique polyphonic singing is close to extinction. However, because this music is such a popular topic of study for musicologists, hopefully with their efforts as well as our own efforts to appreciate their singing, the Bunun people will continue to carry on this rare and unique musical tradition.
Because aborigine festivals in their purest, most traditional forms are relatively rare and difficult to come across, I interviewed my roommate, who is a native Taiwanese, about a celebration that she had attended and taken part in. The celebration took place in the far-eastern part of Taiwan where the largest aboriginal tribe live, the A-mei tribe (阿美族). The interview questions (which were translated from Mandarin) are as followed:
- What are some major aborigine festivals or holidays?
- Where and when do they take place?
- What stories are connected to these celebrations?
- How are these celebrations carried out?
- Are these celebrations related to religion?
- What kind of music and dance accompany these celebrations?
- Are there any types of special instruments used in the music and dance?
- How often do you listen to aborigine music?
- Are there any particular aborigine artists that you listen to?
My interviewee ended described in detail the Harvest Festival (豐年祭) of the A-mei tribe, which took place in the summer of last year. Generally, the festival can take place anywhere from July to September, usually lasting for about three days. The festival is an annual celebration to offer food and goods to gods that once plagued the land with unfortunate circumstances, in order to please them so that they may have an abundant year of fish and millet to harvest. The festivities that my interviewee participated in consisted of dancing, singing, and drinking alcohol, for three days and three nights.
The members of the tribe wore traditional clothing, the main color being red, with shells and bells sewn onto the cloth, and often having very brightly colored decorations. Also, a person having a higher status would have more elaborate outfits with more decorations. The tribe performed a group dance with all members forming consecutive rings, with the oldest and most important members closest to the center. This arrangement reflects the importance of hierarchy in their society. The tribe leader as well as the oldest tribe members sat in chairs, comprising the innermost circle, and in general men comprised the inner circles while women comprised the outer circles. However, this arrangement seems to contradict the tribe’s matriarchal society, for it seems that the women would stand closer to the center. There must be an alternate explanation for this arrangement. Also, the men and women were divided by age, with the older people standing closer to the center and the younger people standing further out. The participants hold hands with the two people on either side of them to form rings of people. Other participants standing outside this dance formation play drums and other forms of percussion (although specific types of instruments were not mentioned).
When the music first began, the tribe leader acted as the lead singer and the rest of the participants would echo his melody, and the dancers swung their hands back and forth while stepping to one side in order to make the circle of people rotate. The call-and-echo structure of the songs also reflects the hierarchical society of the tribe, with the tribe leader having the first and most important voice. The tempo of the songs was moderately fast and carried a steady, unchanging beat. Additionally, one or two other people would move throughout the dance formation offering dancers alcohol that they poured into the same cup, and if offered, the dancer would have to immediately drink the entire cup in one gulp. There were many different songs performed, but mostly each song was composed of the same repeating melody. Finally, the men wear bags on their shoulders that they can offer to the women. The offer is seen as a sign of marriage proposal, and the woman can decide whether to accept or decline. My interviewee herself was able to participate in the dancing, but because her clothes were not traditional, the participants preferred that she stood in the outermost ring.
Song and dance such as the Harvest Festival celebrations and the polyphonal music of the Bunun tribe are such examples of traditional music that aborigines are attempting to keep alive. The recent movements to conserve a
borigine practices such as these have caused traditional musical performing groups to form. These groups cater to the Taiwanese majority, performing in concert halls that are far from the traditional villages and landscapes in which they originally took place. Currently, the most successful aboriginal performing musical group is the Formosa Aboriginal Song and Dance Troupe, comprised of young aborigine dancers and singers who perform traditional dances of their tribes such as tribal legend dances, love dances, rite of passage dances, war dances, daily work dances, and so on, striving to show people what has been passed down by their ancestors for thousands of years (Yi 1). The Formosa Aboriginal Song and Dance Troupe was created in 1991, and since their debut has gained so much success that they have been invited to perform in countries all over the world.
Additionally, my interviewee expressed that she does not listen to aborigine music on a regular basis, but does listen to aborigine pop stars such as A-mei (阿美) of the Puyama tribe and Biung (王宏恩) of the Bunan tribe. A-mei sings in Mandarin, whereas Biung sings in the Bunun aboriginal language. There are also several aborigine music radio stations available; however, my interviewee expressed that she would “probably not” listen to the radio stations on a regular basis because she does not understand aborigine dialects; thus, another question that comes to mind is the difficulty in preserving an aborigine culture when their dialects are not practical for mainstream societal use. However, with Biung’s popularity, he has obviously overcome this barrier, although it seems that A-mei’s name is more widely recognized than Biung’s, especially among the high school and college populations.
Aborigine-pop-fusion style music provides a medium in which people of the mainstream society can more easily appreciate aborigine sounds and elements but still enjoy the style of popular music that they are more accustomed to. To many, pure aboriginal chants and songs may sound too foreign to their ears to completely accept. However, by combining styles, the end result is a set of sounds that might feel more comfortable to the listener. For example, in Biung’s Moonlight, he combines his own vocal melody, sung in Bunun dialect, with guitar accompaniment, a Western instrument. Also, most aboriginal chants tend to repeat the same phrase or phrases, but Biung’s Moonlight is in an AAB1B2A song format (sung twice, separated by a bridge), which is the most common format for Western pop songs.
In Biung’s Moonlight, he sings about needing to hold on to memories of the past in times of loss or despair. The original lyrics of the song were translated into Chinese in the album booklet, which I have translated into English below:
Even though we have lost our dependence
We must still feel happy
Because we still have the moon.
Even though we lost the place where we have a foothold
We must still feel comfort
Because we still have hope.
In you heart there is still some meaning.
In your heart there is still a slip of memory.
When you lift your head to look at the moon, are you still moved?
The words your ancestors spoke, are they still in your heart?
Biung’s words are a message to his people, that in these times of drastic change, they must not forget the roots and history from which they come. They must cherish their traditions, their cultures, their dignity, for it is what makes up their very being. They must not forget their ancestors and the practices that have been handed down for millennia. His words encourage a sense of pride in their aboriginal heritage, in opposition to the harsh discrimination against their identity that they may receive. His words are also a message to the rest of the Taiwanese population, as well as to the rest of the world, that no matter how much oppression and discrimination they have received, they will not forget the roots from which they came. Biung’s song is made of simple melody and composition, but yet, its meaning is deep with the pain and struggle of the aborigine people.
In conclusion, music, which is naturally an essential element in the lives of Taiwanese aborigines, has now become a medium for promoting the preservation of aborigine identity. It is not only an inherited tradition, it is also means for communication to the outside world. The aborigines have applied this method successfully to a certain degree, as evidenced by the influence of aborigine music in Taiwanese pop culture, as well as the success of cultural performance groups such as the Formosa Aboriginal Song and Dance Troupe. However, the most important lesson that we can glean from this study is that the responsibility does not solely rely on the aborigine population to preserve their culture, but on each non-aboriginal as well, for we must learn to look past the stereotypes and negative images that are created. Instead of looking down on differences from what we know, we must learn to appreciate and understand them, and only then can the aborigine population achieve success in their endeavor for self-preservation. The duty lies on each and every one of us.
Bibliography “Taiwanese Aborigines.” 19 Nov. 2008. Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. [Accessed 31 Nov. 2008] <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwanese_aborigine>.
“Yellow Emperor.” 30 Nov. 2008. Wikipedia Online Encyclopedia. [Accessed 31 Nov. 2008]
Iok-sin, Loa. “Aborigines Protest Demolition Notice.” Taipei Times. 13 Nov. 2009.
Yi, Ho. “Preserving the Bounty of Taiwan's Tribal Heritage.” Taipei Times. Oct 20, 2006. [Accessed 1 Dec. 2008] <http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2006/10/20/2003332645>
Video Links:
Polyphonal music of the Bunan tribe
Harvest festival of the A-mei tribe in Hualien, Taiwan
Music video of Biung's "Moonlight"
