WEBVTT

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The opportunity to sing in my mother tongue came from my grandma and my mom.

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My grandma wanted to preserve songs.

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Both my parents are Paiwan.

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Shortly after they got married, they decided

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to provide better education for their kids.

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So, they moved to Kaohsiung since it's closer to Taitung.

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Technically, I grew up as a child in Kaohsiung.

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Fortunately, my mom worked in cultural preservation,

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so my upbringing in Kaohsiung

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was different from most urban Indigenous children.

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I didn't grow up isolated from my community.

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Instead, even in Kaohsiung,

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I was surrounded by Indigenous people.

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So, I remembered from an early age,

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I would often spend holidays in Taitung with my grandparents.

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This constant interaction

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with elders and my vuvu (grandparents)

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shaped my accent.

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But my dad would correct my accent.

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He believed adults face challenges

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that compel them to ensure their children have the ability

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to protect themselves.

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it wasn’t something openly celebrated back then.

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Unlike today’s pride in being Indigenous,

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from suppressing our identity to proudly reviving it.

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I’ve experienced both eras

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In terms of music, I was fortunate

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that my mom was also a wedding singer.

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But she sang in Indigenous styles.

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In traditional Indigenous weddings,

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there’s often a banquet

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and a group circle dance at the end.

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That’s part of the tradition.

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She would sing traditional or adapted songs,

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giving them an authentic Indigenous feel.

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Because of this,

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I grew up following her to various events.

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These events were mainly for urban Indigenous communities.

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The opportunity to sing in my native language arose from my grandma and my mom.

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My grandma wanted to preserve songs,

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so she expressed a desire to record an album.

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She wanted to record ancient Paiwan wedding tunes from Taitung.

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She wanted to record that

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I thought, “Sure.”

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So, we reached out to former colleagues

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from the Mandopop industry to help.

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Since Indigenous people sing

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in natural, comfortable settings,

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it felt strange to record in a soundproof studio.

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To them, singing in a confined space is unnatural.

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But due to production demands,

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there are some needs,

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we had to do it that way.

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At that time, I realized

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I couldn’t leave my mom and grandma

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to record alone.

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So, I had to be there.

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It ended up being three generations singing together.

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I helped explain

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the recording process to them,

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and being there reassured them.

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Everything I did initially was

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because of love—

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love for my family.

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Slow down, I’m writing this down.

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I can’t listen fast enough.

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It means feeling pitiful.

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No, not pitiful.

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It means nostalgia—missing the past.

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After completing "The East Payuan Folk And Three Generations,"

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we had to create a lyrics booklet.

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This required asking the elders about each line’s meaning.

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What does this mean?

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While my grandma was teaching me,

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I realized

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that although my mom had taught me some songs,

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this was the first time I focused deeply

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on understanding the meanings and singing along.

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The way elders sang differed from how my mom sang.

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Each generation infused the songs with their interpretations.

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After finishing, I felt

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this language was truly beautiful.

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But does it have to be interpreted only in traditional ways?

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What if I didn’t use traditional tunes?

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What if I didn’t sing like the elders?

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What if I created my own compositions?

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I treated it as

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a new language—

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a language unfamiliar to others.

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What happens if I pair it with pop melodies?

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What would it become?

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So, I began experimenting.

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I started writing lyrics and composing.

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My mom and I collaborated.

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I handled the compositions,

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but I heavily relied on her for lyrics

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because my proficiency in the native language wasn’t great.

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After completing the project, we frequently earned nominations

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and even won the Golden Melody Award for Best Indigenous Album.

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Now, it feels like

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this album has opened up

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a whole new world for me.

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Through

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our work, we’ve been guided on an incredible journey.

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This experience, I feel,

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is something I can share with many Indigenous children.

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If you want to sing,

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you can give it a try.

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There are ways to connect with the broader audience.

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The elders would say,

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for example, when a flood comes,

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it may take things away.

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It’s just how nature works.

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If you rarely use a language, it will disappear.

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Speak it with your voice.

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Yes, just like that.

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Exactly.

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But the shared challenge is

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parents don’t speak it either.

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There’s a lack of native language resources.

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Without confidence in grammar, they’re unsure if they’re using it correctly.

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They need someone—an elder—to guide them

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on how to use it properly.

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Through native languages, cultural identity deepens.

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It fosters a unique connection.

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It provides a deeper understanding

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of one’s own identity.

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That’s amazing.

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But you can’t tell them this at the start,

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because it creates pressure.

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If you immediately say, “You’re doing this to revitalize the language,”

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it’s not that simple.

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What matters most is

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learning to express yourself.

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The prerequisite for expression is

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knowing yourself.

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When you know yourself, everything makes sense.

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Just be honest with yourself.

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Honesty is the key to lasting creativity.

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That’s how you can go further.

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When they visit those places,

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they return transformed.

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They are different from before.

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These young people have planted a seed—

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a belief in creating music,

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singing in their native language,

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and receiving positive feedback.

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It gives them confidence

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and removes doubt about their work

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They no longer question themselves.

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I think this applies to all fields.

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As long as you have a skill,

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something you excel at,

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you can do better than others.