Indigenous DJ Brings Traditional Songs to Paris Cultural Olympiad
Indigenous DJ Dungi Sapor combines her ancestors' traditional melodies with electronic club music. This August, she's bringing her people's voices to Paris as part of Taiwan's delegation to the inaugural Cultural Olympiad.
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00:00In ode to her ancestors, indigenous DJ Nengi Sapor is singing along with the melodies passed
00:20down to her through degenerations.
00:22Her music combines traditional vocals with modern electronic beats, and this summer she's
00:27taking her people's voices to Paris as part of a series of cultural performances held
00:32alongside the 2024 Olympic Games.
00:46The Amis is the largest indigenous group in Taiwan, and the red dress and embroidered
00:50patterns on Nengi's outfit are a nod to their traditional clothing.
00:54These melodies can be heard during major ceremonies like the annual Amis Harvest Days
00:59or when villages pray for rain.
01:01But they're also sung just for entertainment.
01:03For young Amis people, hearing these songs bring back memories of home.
01:24In several of her tracks, Nengi samples the voices of village elders.
01:37To young Amis people like Kading, hearing the song sung by their seniors feels like
01:41a blessing, connecting her to her people's history.
01:44But Nengi's music is also contemporary.
01:47She's part of a new generation of indigenous artists that's been experimenting with dynamic,
01:52popular styles.
02:11Nengi's influences are also international.
02:14She's collaborated with indigenous performers from all over the world, and says she'll be
02:18mixing new vocals collected in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada into her show in Paris.
02:24While representing indigenous people at the Olympics is a form of recognition from the
02:28government, it doesn't resolve issues related to indigenous rights in Taiwan.
02:33Activists are still fighting for legal stewardship of what was traditionally indigenous land,
02:37and they're trying to stop the ongoing loss of indigenous languages and traditions.
03:03For now, Nengi Sabor is focused on expressing herself on the global stage, and she's calling
03:33the show.
03:47Klein Wong and Yuchen Lai for Taiwan Plus.