Inka Mbing. (Courtesy of Trees Music and Arts)
By June Tsai
When hearing Inka Mbing sing in her native Atayal language for the first time, one is struck by the profound resonance of her voice and wonders where that power comes from. The answer is complex.
Inka is a member of the Atayal people, one of Taiwan's major aboriginal groups, and represents one of the most powerful indigenous voices today. She is presumably the only female aboriginal singer on the island to perform in her native tongue. Her first full-length album "Gaga," released in 2008, features ancient chants as well as the singer-songwriter's own tunes based on the Atayal's traditional beliefs. The album stands as one of the most fruitful musical endeavors of recent years that aim at the preservation of indigenous languages and cultures.
Raised by her grandmother in Jianshih Township, Hsinchu County, Inka grew up listening to the songs of her elders. She left her hometown at the age of 10 to join her parents in Taoyuan, south of Taipei, where the little girl was told she could receive a better education. As a teenager, Inka formed a girls' bands with some friends where she played the bass and sang Western and Chinese pop songs in pubs and restaurants around Taoyuan and Taipei.
Though moving to the city, Inka remained close to her Atayal roots. "I speak the language and remember the old chants passed down by the elders," she said. "I believe it is the "Gaga" that led me away from home and had me go through what I have experienced," the singer mused. "Gaga" is an Atayal word that roughly translates as the "natural order of things in the universe" and represents ancient teachings the Atayal pass on from one generation to the next.
Marriage and raising children kept Inka from developing her musical talent, but her commitment to the indigenous culture brought her back on track, this time with her own music.
The singer became active in Taiwan's aboriginal rights movement in the mid-1980s, when it started to gain momentum along with the democratic development of the nation. But it was the earthquake, which struck the island Sept. 21, 1999, that reawakened Inka's Atayal soul.
As several Atayal communities in the mountains were hit, Inka formed a music group called "Feiyu Yunbao"--meaning "flying fish and clouded leopard"--with other activist-musicians to raise money for their reconstruction. "We helped villagers rebuild their homes and provided comfort by singing and playing music," Inka recalled.
Among the group was Hu De-fu, or Kimbo, the iconic Puyuma singer-activist. "Kimbo sang songs from dawn to dusk. He was singing melodies from his own culture, and I was so touched," Inka noted. Though they were staying at an Atayal village, there was no one to perform in that language, so Inka asked to sing. "People's first reaction was to ask me if I could sing and whether the Atayal had songs," she said.
The Atayal have many tunes, but they are seldom heard. That day, Inka, who people saw only as a housewife, sang out the Gaga, whose tune had been considered almost totally lost. "I had learned it over the years from different tribal elders who helped me piece it together. When I sang the Gaga that day, I saw tears falling from the elders' aged faces," Inka said. They were surprised and moved. That was the first time she sang the holy chant in public.
A few weeks later, Inka and the others arrived at Fasiang Village, Nantou County, which, according to legend, is the Atayal people's place of origin. Near the village stand two huge rocks, which mark the place where village elders normally hold meetings. "A sense of mission ran through me, and I said to the ancestors as though they were present, 'You brought me here, so whatever you want me to do, I'll do it. I am your instrument.' I climbed onto one of the rocks and began to sing the Gaga. I sang to the grass below me, to the surrounding nature. I experienced such a surge of energy that I almost felt I was the reincarnation of my ancestors," Inka said.
The spiritual experience enlightened her and led her back to her cultural roots. The singer started collecting traditional melodies and lyrics from old people in various Atayal villages. The effort sometimes involved breaking the community's taboos. "Traditionally, women are not allowed to chant the Gaga. But I felt compelled to sing, and the result is that the Atayal have come to recognize my singing," Inka explained. "The old language was as appealing to me as diamonds to some women, and I wanted to learn and sing more. Fortunately, my voice allows me to sing the way male elders do," she pointed out.
Gender awareness is implicit in her music. "Thinking of Home," for example, depicts the daily life of a young woman who just got married to a poor man from another village. It describes the young wife thinking of her mother and her words of encouragement when feeling down. "Women may look submissive, but are actually stronger than men. They are the source of life's strength," said Inka, the mother of two adult daughters.
Another song from the album titled "The Tribe in Heaven" tells about a handicapped aboriginal woman from the perspective of her daughter. According to the singer, the song, whose lyrics are set to a traditional Atayal melody, reflects her thoughts about life. "I endlessly roam about this world, feeling hurt and frustrated. I want to reach the tribe in heaven, where there is no pain and sorrow. I won't return from there but try to purify my mind and soul, to reach that origin of all beings, the creator of the world."
Inka believes the Atayal are people with a strong spirituality. "As a woman, I always feel connected to that spirituality, which I try to work into music and convey to a larger audience, beyond tribes or even society." "Protecting the Creek" and "Friends of the Mountain People" are good examples of the singer's beliefs. Both songs are adapted from old folk tunes with lyrics written by Inka, and are imbued with the songwriter's observation of today's problems. They urge people, indigenous and non-indigenous alike, to try to keep an ecological balance between men and nature, in accordance with the Atayal's philosophy. The songs are messages to the contemporary world, which Inka described as being "emptied" by greed and excessive consumption.
The 54-year-old musician argued that materialism and consumerism are leading young Atayal away from the Gaga. "We were more connected to the spirit of our ancestors in ancient times, but not anymore because the world has become far too complicated, and we have only limited, if any, access to the Gaga today," she said. "But if you look inward long enough, discovering yourself, you will know what to do and how to do it right. I gave myself entirely to that spirit, the Atayal Creator. It helps me sing and play music the way I do. I am just a vessel for those old melodies and the messages they convey."
In addition to making music and collecting traditional tunes, Inka also teaches the Atayal language to the next generation. She argues that the best way is through music. ¡§I guide children to incorporate what they see and feel into songs, so that they develop a love for their hometown and an intimacy with the language. I hope children will say one day with pride, 'This is a song my forefathers wrote.'"
"The Creator has given me this task, and the wisdom, to pass on our traditions to the posterity, knowing I'm willing to do so," the musician said, noting that tradition is the source of her work. "It is always renewing and teaching something timely to the world. So I am not afraid of running out of inspiration," she said, adding laughingly, "My next albums will probably also be titled 'Gaga,' for everything is Gaga."
This article is published in Taiwan Journal April 3, 2009.
No comments:
Post a Comment