[ Chinese ]

Introduction

This is the second release for this aboriginal singer from the Puyuma tribe. Samingad is well-known in Taiwan for her powerful voice. On this album, about half of the tracks are in the Puyuma language, and include traditional songs as well as more contemporary numbers. The remaining half of the album is in Mandarin. No matter whether you can understand the words or not, the emotion with which Samingad sings each song will move and uplift you. But, it is the beauty of her voice that will make you put away the cares of the day just to stop and listen. To learn more about Samingad herself, see this month's In Yer Ear feature.

Artists

Samingad 紀曉君

Birth 1977 Coming From The Puyuma Tribe Tai-Dong

Internationally Acclaimed Puyuma Songstress From Taiwan's East Coast

Samingad, whose name in her native Puyuma means “without equal,” was born in Tai-Dong County’s Puyuma Township to a family with a rich musical tradition. Her grandparents and many of her relatives are important figures in keeping traditional Puyuma music alive through emceeing at the tribe’s many social functions and teaching the tribe’s music to their children. At a time when the native languages of Taiwan’s Aboriginal peoples are fading into disuse, Samingad stands out for composing her music in Puyuma. Her music draws much of its inspiration from the Gospels, as well as from tales of the tribe’s former agricultural and hunting lifestyle, and from the complex emotions triggered by Puyuma’s struggles in Taiwan’s contemporary society. In 1999 Samingad was invited with Difang Duana (of Enigma’s “Return to Innocence” fame) to perform in Japan, where her performance was described by local critics as containing: “the wind of the plains and the rays of the sun.”

Edition Extended