Artists

BUNUN TRIBE - SOUND OF LILEH (Taiwan)

Bunun is one of the nineteen indigenous tribes that live on the Taiwan Island and the only group in the region with a system of writing. The multigenerational Lileh band is famous around the world thanks especially to their performance of Bunun Pasibutbut. This song is a prayer for a bountiful harvest. The performers sing traditional songs, which have for centuries accompanied the tribe in their daily routines. In this way, they provide European listeners with a unique chance to meet what otherwise would remain unknown to them.

The name Lileh comes from an old name of the Bunun tribe. The word is derived from a plant, which in the Chinese culture is known as Jian-jen. As this plant, at one point, was widely available in the mountain region settled by the tribe, the Bunun people found many applications of it. The band acquired the plant’s name as a symbol of its strength and vitality. The Bunun song originates in the tribal culture, one, in which music played a significant role. The singers perform ritual songs, as well as songs that accompanied daily life, such as farming or hunting songs. For the Bunun people these to activities— farming and hunting, have traditionally been sacral. Nowadays, the majority of the Bunun people have converted to Christianity, thus many traditional rituals have been substituted with prayers.

The Bunun tribe is also known as a “choral tribe”. The tribe prides itself on and is well known for its deeply rooted choral tradition. Established in 1986, the band includes three generations of tribe’s men. The oldest member of the group is over seventy, while the youngest are under thirty.


Programs:
1) Pasibutbut (Prayer for a Bountiful Millet Harvest)
2) Mazi lumah (Return Home)
3) Kahudaz (Drinking Song)
4) Pislahe (Before Hunting)
5) Malastapan (Song of Honor)
6) Pisidaidaz (Song of Comfort)
7) Pasilaubu (Song of Celebration)


Emission time: 60 min. (and additional: 50 min. for film)