Small Island Big Song

Small Island Big Song is a music, film, and performing art project. Its goal is to bring together respected First Nation Islander artists from across the Pacific and Indian Oceans who share an ancient seafaring ancestry and a passion for climate justice.

Motivated by an increasing concern for the ocean and the ecology of the world at large, Taiwanese theatre producer BaoBao Chen and Australian music producer/filmmaker Tim Cole embarked in 2015 on a years-long trip, travelling through sixteen island nations of the Pacific and Indian Oceans in search of artists to collaborate with. The art produced was filmed and recorded locally, in the nature of each artist’s island, using traditional instruments and indigenous languages, and pairing unique traditional sounds with various contemporary genres ranging from reggae to folk and RnB. Passing from island to island and growing with each artist’s contribution, Small Island Big Song showcases a choice to preserve the cultural voice of the Indo-Pacific population and ties it to the environment, using as backdrop in their performances panoramic visuals of the artists’ home islands.

This collaboration is a tour de force in the exploration of the connection between art, people, cultures, and mother nature. Together, Small Island Big Song created impressive music and performances which demonstrate the uniting power of art and shine a crucial light on the importance of advocating for and upholding time-honoured traditions and practices.