Skip to main content

Taiwanese Aborigine Song "Go to the Mountain, Go to the Seas" (上山下海)


I'm trying to find some other Taiwanese aborigine songs. I think this is a song by the Amis tribe or the sea people. I believe the Amis are descended from the seafaring Indonesians and Malaysians. The song's aboriginal song and melody are rather enchanting. Maybe, an Ifugao or an Igorot scholar would be able to decode this wonderful song.

If only the Philippines would show more respect to the indigenous tribes. It's a sad fact that Ifugaos would need to go to Taiwan to learn their weaving culture (read here). These natives (who I believe are Malay and Indos) get more appreciation than the Filipino indigenous people.

Popular posts from this blog

A Small List of Malay/Indo Words Found in the Tagalog Language

I wrote a blog entry where I discussed about trying to find links between Filipino languages and Southeast Asian languages . It wasn't surprising that while I was researching the song "Dayang Dayang", I found out that there was an Indonesian version sung by Virvina Vica in the 1990s. There was also another singer named Hainun Pangilan from Mindanao (where Indonesian and Malaysian influence survived). Bahasa is simply another word for language.  From Mastering Bahasa , here are some words in Tagalog which are borrowed from the Indonesians and Malaysians: 1.[/td] [td]Abo[/td] [td]Abu[/td] [td]Ash 2.[/td] [td]Ako[/td] [td]Aku[/td] [td]I (informal) 3.[/td] [td]Apoy[/td] [td]Api[/td] [td]Fire 4.[/td] [td]Balita[/td] [td]Berita[/td] [td]News 5.[/td] [td]Gulay[/td] [td]Gulai[/td] [td]Vegetables; Curry 6.[/td] [td]Hangin[/td] [td]Angin[/td] [td]Wind 7.[/td] [td]Hari[/td] [td]Hari[/td] [td]King; Day 8.[/td] [td]Kulang[/td] [td]Kurang[/td] [td]Less 9.[/td] [td]Salamat[/td] [td]Sela...

The Song "Ako'y Isang Pinoy" Really Reeks of Historical Ignorance

It's Buwan ng Wika or Month of the Language. One of the songs that's often sung in the Buwan ng Wika program is "Ako'y Isang Pinoy" or "I'm Filipino" in English. I remembered this song was sung in the Filipino language class. I did hate the Filipino language, especially as an ethnic Chinese growing up in the Philippines. Examining the lyrics The lyrics go like this with English translation: I am a Filipino Ako'y isang pinoy In heart and soul Sa puso't diwa Filipino born Pinoy na isinilang In our country Sa ating bansa I am not good at foreign languages Ako'y hindi sanay sa wikang mga banyaga I am a Filipino who has my own language Ako'y pinoy na mayroong sariling wika Gat Jose Rizal then spoke Si Gat Jose Rizal nooy nagwika He preached in our country Sya ay nagpangaral sa ating bansa It is said to not love one's own language Ang 'di raw magmahal sa sariling wika The smell is more than stinky fish Ay higit pa ang amoy sa mabaho...

Mahatma Gandhi's Use of Tax Evasion, as a Form of Protest?

The 40th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA Revolution came last month. Benigno Simeon "Ninoy" A. Aquino Jr. said these words: "According to Gandhi, the willing sacrifice of the innocent is the most powerful answer to insolent tyranny that has yet been conceived by God and man." Basically, EDSA 1986 can't claim to be all too unique. Ninoy had made Gandhi an inspiration. The dictatorship of the First Marcos Administration may be over . However, the Philippines is still stuck in another dictatorship called the dictatorship of the Filipino First Policy . It does sound stupid, but even without Marcos or foreign colonization (please stop mistaking foreign investment with foreign invasion ), there's still some oppression to fight. You can think about decades of overly high taxes and restrictions on foreign investments.  Now, we need to look at the historical context in which Gandhi's "tax evasion" occurred. According to a Jagran Josh   article written by ...

Filipinos Calling Indians as "Bumbay"

The song "Dayang Dayang" was given a parody cover called "Dayang Daya". Oftentimes, the song "Dayang Dayang" is thought to be Indian. Instead, it's arguably said to be from Muslim Mindanao or was brought in either from Malaysia or Indonesia. Historically, some of the settlers in the Philippines were Malaysians and Indonesians. So, it's probably safe to say that most Filipinos of brown skin descent are mixed Malay and Indonesian. I was even reminded how I mistook a Malaysian woman for a Filipino woman. Back on topic, the parody song has an introduction that says, "Kami Bumbay galing sa India..." (We're Bombay coming from India). I even tend to refer to Indians as Bombay--something I ended up tactlessly saying during my first trip to Singapore. Many times, Filipinos tend to use Bumbay not as a racial slur but to simply refer to an Indian. Some Filipino-Indians don't even mind being called Bumbay for a reason. I guess they got accust...

Taiwan Aboriginal Culture Park Indigenous Bamboo Dance

This is another bamboo dance done by what I believe are Atayal dancers. The dance steps are very similar to what one might find in Nueva Ecija or any indigenous region of the Philippines. What makes it more appealing to me is the absence of Taiwanese Mandarin in the lyrics. Instead, it's lyrics that would sound like the chanting of Filipino indigenous dancers. There are similar yet different movements between Taiwanese aborigines and Filipino aborigines. The Malaysians and Indonesians have settled in several places. The dance movements between Taiwanese aborigines and Filipino aborigines are too similar to be ignored. Even the indigenous language might be very similar.