Editor：TNUANEWS / Date：2023-09-22
Six TUNA students from Taiwan’s indigenous community shared their performance tour in five Northern European countries during summer vacation this year at a talk organized by the Office of Student Affairs on September 22.
During their 37-day tour, they performed in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia and Latvia.
The group, calling themselves “Minang,” took part in Ethno World, Ethno Estonia, Bingsjostamma, Riddu Riddu Festival, Viljandi parimusmuusika Festival and Valmieras740, working as volunteers, giving workshops and showcasing the music of Taiwan’s indigenous peoples.
After months of preparation – during which they had visited various indigenous communities in Taiwan to learn how to play their music and how to make their musical instruments – they embarked on the tour with various indigenous musical instruments.
During the tour, they gave a total of nine workshops on Taiwan’s indigenous music, and 12 concerts.
The six students are: Kiwa, a graduate student from the Department of Music; Vava, a student from the Graduate Institute of Architecture and Cultural Heritage; Fusay, a graduate student from the Department of Music; Yuma, a student from the Department of Filmmaking; Azima, a student from the Department of Dance; and Kincyang, a student from the Music and Image Trans-disciplinary Program.
Kiwa noted during the talk that the members of the group come from different indigenous communities: Bunun, Amis, Atayal, and Pinuyumayan. The group’s name “Minang” is a Bunun word meaning dissemination – showing their intention of bringing Taiwan’s indigenous culture to other parts of the world.