The unity of the oceanic island countries. The song "One Ocean" from the small island: Let's talk about hope.

"One Ocean" performance stills. (Provided by Kojima Dage)

The "Small Island Big Song" project initiated by Taiwanese producer Chen Wen-zhen and Australian musician Tim Cole enters its 11th anniversary this year. The Asia-Pacific premiere of the new production "One Ocean" will be held on November 11 at the National Arts and Culture Center in Weiwuying, Kaohsiung.

The "Small Island Big Song" project started in Taiwan, connecting South Island culture through music, and visited island countries in the Pacific and Indian Ocean that are connected to Taiwan's aboriginal culture, from New Zealand in the south, to Madagascar in the west, and to Easter Island in the east. So far, it has collaborated with more than a hundred musicians. Chen Wenzhen said that in the past, the main forms of Little Island Song were field collection, music co-creation and concerts. Even if the audience did not understand the artist's native language, they could still feel the music. However, the life story behind the artist often needed to be understood in depth through interviews or workshops. Therefore, "One Ocean" specially joins theater directors, choreographers, and visual and sound design teams to let each artist's life experience become the story line and develop a musical theater work with a complete narrative.

The concert explores how humans coexist with the ever-changing ocean, and Emlyn Marimutu, a Mauritian-Creole native, proposed the idea of ​​"Let's talk about hope." (Provided by Kojima Dage)

"One Ocean" focuses on the impact of climate change on the island nation, and also conveys the artist's hope for cultural continuity and the future. Participating artists include Abus, a popular musician from Taiwan’s Amis and Bunun ethnic groups, and Olivia Foy, one of the lead singers of the original soundtrack of Disney’s “Moana” Foa’i), as well as musicians and dancers from Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Mauritius and other places, share stories of coral reefs, storms, lost homes and cultural heritage through their native languages, traditional music and contemporary creations, and explore how humans coexist with the ever-changing ocean.

Chen Wenzhen shared that Mauritian musician Emlyn Marimutu once said when discussing climate issues: "Let's talk about HOPE." (Let's talk about hope.) She believes that when artists originally scattered on different islands gather together, they can gradually expand each other's influence, and unity and hope are also important reasons for everyone to create together. Ask OPENTIX for details.