Suming

Suming Rupi (born 17 July 1978) is a Taiwanese indigenous musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He is a member of the "Lacienci" (拉千禧) age organization (a form of social organization that is characteristic of Pangcah[1]) of A'tolan.

Suming Rupi
Suming performing at the 2016 Amis Music Festival
Background information
Born (1978-07-17) 17 July 1978
Taitung County, Taiwan
GenresFolk rock
Electronic dance music
Pop
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter, actor
InstrumentsGuitar
Vocals
Flute
Years active2002–present
LabelsWonder Music
Websitewww.sumingfans.com
Suming
Traditional Chinese舒米恩‧魯碧
Literal meaningcharcoal
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese姜聖民

Life and career

Suming Rupi is a member of the A'tolan community of the Pangcah (also known as "Amis") people, who live in Taitung County. Rupi is his grandmother's given name.[2] He often only goes by his given name "Suming". He is also known as Chiang Sheng-min, his Chinese name. He sees tradition as fashionable and stylish,[3] and often appears in Pangcah traditional dress on stage.

Suming began his music career with the band Totem (圖騰樂團) in 2002. He serves as one of the two vocalists and the main songwriter of the band. Totem won the first prize in the 7th Hohaiyan Rock Festival, which is held annually in Gongliao District, New Taipei.[4] Totem released two albums, Over There I Sing (我在那邊唱) in 2006 and Shepherd Boy (放羊的孩子) in 2009, and was nominated for the Best Band in the Golden Melody Awards in 2007 and 2010 for both albums. Suming notably used the Pangcah language in rap style in a song "Panay, 19-years-old (巴奈十九)", taken from Over There I Sing. In 2006, the Association of Music Workers in Taiwan listed the song as one of the 10 Best Singles of the year, and Over There I Sing as one of the 10 Best Albums of the year.[5]

Solo career
Suming at the release party for his debut solo album in 2010

In 2010, Suming released an eponymous first solo album, writing 10 out of the 11 songs; all the lyrics are in Pangcah. One reason Suming wrote lyrics all in Pangcah in his 2010 album, Suming, and the attempt to crossover in different music genres was to get the younger generation in his community, who had become fond of Japanese and Korean pop songs, interested in learning their mother tongue.[6] He has been giving concert/talk tours in Taiwan to raise funds for the annual training of the pakalongay (Pangcah youths between 12 and 18 that are not yet admitted into the age organizations) to obtain basic skills that are required to become Kapah (the young men in age organizations) according to the Pangcah tradition.[7]

According to anthropologist Futuru C.L. Tsai, Suming "is not the first Amis music album but is the first one attempting to crossover into popular music market in Taiwan, combining indigenous melodies such as Amis polyphony and flutes together with techno-trance, hip-hop, and Taiwanese folk music."[8] The album was well received in the Taiwanese market, entering the KKBox Western Chart TOP 100 List for 8 consecutive months.[9] Suming received the Best Album and the Best Live Performance at the inaugural Golden Indie Music Award in 2011 for this album and its release party.[10] The album also won the Best Aboriginal Album of the 22nd Taiwan Golden Melody Awards in 2011, and Suming was nominated for the best singer and the Best Album Producer (of all music categories, with Lin Hui-Bin).[11]

Suming also uses his music as a way to introduce non-indigenous people to indigenous cultures. For example, in "Kapah", a song mixing western electronic dance music and Pangcah lyrics, he evoked qualities considered attractive in young men in the matrilineal Pangcah society – the ability to sing, dance, fish and cook, being hard-working and willing to be a team member. The music video of "Kapah" also portrayed elements of Pangcah tradition, including dance steps for Pangcah's traditional festival, and characteristics of the male age organization.[8] When receiving his Best Indigenous Album in the 2011 Golden Melody Award from Ma Ying-jeou, President of Taiwan, he expressed his hope that the Taiwanese audience can become "fans" of indigenous cultures. He urged President Ma to support indigenous culture: "President Ma, we aborigines are 'a blue-chip stock.' Please invest in us. We will develop our own industry."[12][13] Anthropologist Futuru C.L. Tsai, specialized in the Pangcah culture, calls Suming's intervention in the contemporary Taiwanese pop music scene an "alternative cultural activism".[8]

Besides his music career, Suming also played in the film Hopscotch and received the "Best New Performer" in 2008 in the Taipei Golden Horse Awards, Taiwan's equivalent to the Academy Awards, for his role in the film.[14]

In 2013, Suming founded the Amis Music Festival with fellow Dulan villagers in an effort to stimulate tribe-oriented economic development in his hometown.[15]

In 2017, Suming received the Taiwanese Presidential Cultural Awards’ youth creativity award, with President Tsai Ing-Wen noting that his work to promote traditional indigenous culture in Dulan village had resonated well with young people.[16]

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References
  1. (in Chinese) 新增網頁1. Oz.nthu.edu.tw (11 November 2004). Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  2. (in Chinese) iPavo::陳樂融@銀河網路電台 | 以母語舉辦演唱會，Suming舒米恩計劃掀起哈原族風潮！. Media.ipavo.com (22 April 2011). Retrieved on 1 July 2011.
  3. (in Chinese)回家～是做自己的開始 @ 約翰淑敏－Suming :: 痞客邦 PIXNET ::. Johnsuming.pixnet.net (23 April 2011). Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  4. (in Chinese) ｜喀報｜ Suming舒米恩 唱所欲言. Castnet.nctu.edu.tw (28 May 2011). Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  5. (in Chinese) 中華音樂人交流協會 Archived 8 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Musicman.org.tw (31 October 2005). Retrieved 1 July 2011.
  6. (in Chinese) 原住民族文化傳播網 :: Archived 2 August 2012 at Archive.today. Ipcf.org.tw. Retrieved on 1 July 2011.
  7. (in Chinese) [May] B版 特別報導【Suming 海邊的孩子校園巡迴 】 @ 人類學現場 :: 痞客邦 PIXNET ::. Anthro.pixnet.net. Retrieved on 1 July 2011.
  8. Kapah (Young Men): Alternative Cultural Activism in Taiwan. Savage Minds (4 August 2010). Retrieved on 1 July 2011.
  9. (in Chinese) 世界心靈專輯週榜TOP100 – KKBOX. Tw.kkbox.com. Retrieved on 1 July 2011.
  10. (in Chinese) 第一屆金音創作獎得獎名單 – 金音獎 的部落格 – 網誌 – StreetVoice Archived 7 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Tw.streetvoice.com. Retrieved on 1 July 2011.
  11. (in Chinese) 第22屆流行音樂金曲獎_入圍名單. Ttv.com.tw. Retrieved on 1 July 2011.
  12. (in Chinese) 馬總統親頒最佳原民專輯獎 舒米恩感言超爆笑 – 中央廣播電臺新聞頻道 Archived 15 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine. News.rti.org.tw (18 June 2011). Retrieved on 1 July 2011.
  13. President Ma presents Golden Melody Award to aboriginal singer – CNA ENGLISH NEWS. Focustaiwan.tw (18 June 2011). Retrieved on 1 July 2011.
  14. (in Chinese) 2011 台北金馬影展 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Archived 28 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Goldenhorse.org.tw. Retrieved on 1 July 2011.
  15. "First Amis Music Festival held in Taitung County - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  16. "President Tsai presents Presidential Cultural Awards | Culture | FOCUS TAIWAN - CNA ENGLISH NEWS". focustaiwan.tw. Archived from the original on 18 October 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
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