The Indigenous Taiwanese singer Abao sings in Paiwan — not Chinese, which dominates Taiwan's pop music industry. Her popularity reflects the island's overdue recognition of Indigenous culture.
for the state's mistreatment of aboriginal people.
When she was seven, her parents moved her out of Taiwan's more rural east to the southern city of Kaohsiung."My parents' generation had a tough life," she says."They had few opportunities, so they wanted me and my sister to get the same education as the Han Chinese and not only spend time with other Indigenous people."
Taiwanese singer Abao holds her awards for Song of the Year and Best Aboriginal Album at the 31th Golden Melody Awards in Taipei, on Oct. 3, 2020.Taiwanese singer Abao holds her awards for Song of the Year and Best Aboriginal Album at the 31th Golden Melody Awards in Taipei, on Oct. 3, 2020.Writing songs in the Paiwan language has let her rediscover and relearn her mother tongue.
That writing process was one of the inspirations behind one of Abao's biggest hits, called"Mother Tongue" or"Kinakaian" in Paiwan:Can you hear me? I have been talking to you."We are the descendants of the first people who lived here," says Abao."We kind of have the feeling of sitting at a table and watching one customer after another leave, but we Indigenous people are always left.
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