A joint initiative by Taiwan, France and Austria is to preserve and publish a collection of ancient songs recorded on Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) of the Tao people, an indigenous Taiwanese community, the Taiwan Music Institute (TMI) announced yesterday.
The project brings together TMI, France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and the Artistic Research Center (ARC) at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna, TMI said in a news release.
The collaboration is to result in the publication of a book next year and marks the first large-scale effort between the three countries to preserve indigenous cultural heritage, the institute said.
Photo courtesy of the Taiwan Music Institute
The effort centers on a 50-year archive compiled by French anthropologist Veronique Arnaud, who conducted long-term fieldwork among the Tao people on Orchid Island, located off Taiwan’s southeastern coast.
Arnaud, a leading Southeast Asia expert who lived for years in Langdao (Iraraley) Village, donated more than 500 hours of recordings to CNRS in 2013, TMI said.
TMI said that Arnaud passed away in 2022, and some of her recordings have not yet been translated or studied, which prompted this new collaboration.
Under authorization from CNRS, the audio files would be made available on TMI’s online platform, while ARC would be involved in the translation of the recordings, the institute said.
TMI added that the team is to incorporate handwritten song manuscripts collected by ethnomusicologist Chien Shan-hua (錢善華) and cultural worker Syaman Vengayen (郭健平).
At a news conference yesterday, Tao elder Syapen Meylamney sang a traditional song.
This was followed by other members of the indigenous community performing the traditional “Hair Dance,” which typically features Tao women gracefully swinging their long hair.
Speaking at the event, Syaman Vengayen described Arnaud as “a member of the tribe” and said Tao culture must never be overlooked or allowed to disappear.
Chen Yue-yi (陳悅宜), director of the National Center for Traditional Arts which oversees the institute, said the songs reflect the Tao people’s wisdom and collective memory.
Christian Helbig, head of the Austrian Office Taipei, said Austria places a high value on preserving musical culture and called the collaboration a valuable opportunity for international exchange and innovation.
Clea Le Cardeur, deputy director of the French Office in Taipei, said Arnaud’s lifelong commitment to Orchid Island was key to the project’s launch and thanked all participating parties.
Lin Wei-ya (林維亞), who is leading the project, said the research is to proceed in three phases.
The team would first build a song database and keyword system, then analyze the music and finally create a classification framework rooted in indigenous perspectives, along with publication and platform development to support knowledge sharing and cultural preservation.
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