Featured Touring Artists
Sammy
Merina, Madagascar
Sammy has led an extraordinary life as a Madagascan musician, at a time when most picked up guitars over the traditional Valiha, Sammy followed his passion for Madagascar’s musical heritage, by mastering and learning how to make most of Madagascar’s instruments.
His efforts coming to the notice of the UK’s world music scene as his group ‘Tarika Sammy’, gained international recognition, becoming a regular on major festival stages and being acknowledged as one of the world’s best 10 bands, by TIME Magazine. Sammy has been much in demand since, and we are proud to have him at every Small Island Big Song concert.
Photo: SIBS at 2023 WOMADelaide festival, Australia by Samra Teague
Emlyn
Creole, Mauritius
Featured on CNN, songwriter, musician and dancer, Emlyn is leading a wave of performers across the Indian Ocean proudly reclaiming their unique rhythms and cultural mix.
Written with a reactive pen and sung in Creole, her songs rebelliously express her concerns for her island’s environment. A cause she has taken up as co-founder of ‘Enn Losean Vivab’, a Mauritius based organisation educating school students about plastic pollution.
Emlyn brings the infectious grooves of Sega with its soul from the African slave trade to the stage played on the Ravann, Triangle and Kayamb.
Photo: SIBS at 2023 WOMADelaide festival, Australia by Samra Teague
Putad
Amis, Taiwan
Powerful, entrancing, unapologetic all words used to describe Putad’s engaging stage presence. In the proud spirit of her Indigenous Amis heritage Putad unites ancient vocal traditions with raw energy of grunge, rock and punk as her and her brother Wusang’s band Outlet Drift express. Their bold, uplifting and uncompromising shows place their Amis heritage on centre stage at 100db & 100mph as they confront prejudices taking the audience on an unforgettable sonic ride.
In the SIBS ensemble, she brings this energy, her soaring voice, rock bass along with her coastal Amis ancestry and love for the ocean.
Photo: SIBS at 2023 WOMADelaide festival, Australia by Samra Teague
Vaiteani
Tahitian, Tahiti
Vaiteani is the lead singer songwriter of the Polynesian group bearing her name, with her partner and gifted multi-Instrumentalist Luc, they perform songs as captivating and beautiful as her homeland Tahiti which inspires them. Vaiteani are one of the most popular acts in Polynesia today, a standing they have been able to use to draw awareness to environmental issues.
They sing for her people and nature, with one foot in the world of contemporary music styles, Soul, Folk and the other, exploring the timeless music traditions of her Polynesian heritage. People get moved by the captivating tone of her voice while their songs bring us all to some hidden place where we can discover a deeper substance to the subject.
Photo: Bruno Drouot
Yoyo Tuki
Rapa Nui & Australia
The world sees Easter Islanders as the people who foolishly depleted their natural resources deforesting their island, Yoyo Tuki confronts that image as he stands strong in his Rapa Nui ancestry steadied through a deep respect for his land and traditions as nurtured by his grandfather ‘Mana Roa’ (Great Wisdom).
A mana (Substance of presence) ringing out through his singing, music, art and performance, lifting us above our prejudices. Pioneering fusions of reggae, folk and funk with his mastery of Polynesian ukulele styles, Yoyo Tuki sings out for one of the most remote islands on Earth.
Photo: SIBS at 2023 WOMADelaide festival, Australia by Samra Teague
Olivia Foa'i
Tokelau/Aotearoa
Olivia Foa’i is a singer-songwriter, musician, director and dancer. Being the daughter of Opetaia Foa’i, the founder of internationally acclaimed Polynesian band - Te Vaka. She’s performed across 40 countries with the band and is featured on Disney's "Moana” soundtrack. In 2019 she released her debut solo album Candid and won "Best Pacific Album" in the Aotearoa Music Awards and "Best Female Artist" in the Pacific Music Awards 2020.
Photo: SIBS concert at 2023 TIFA Taiwan International Festival of Arts by Tony Tsai
Sauljaljui
Paiwan, Taiwan
In 2009 a typhoon devastated Sauljaljui’s village and community, her response was to write “Lament of Colored Cloth” a song which enabled the village to unite their tragedy and recover, winning a prestigious songwriters award in Taiwan.
Two albums and countless international concerts later, Sauljaljui is just as dedicated to her Paiwan community, directing a yearly cultural festival, being the first female leader in her community youth group, and contributing to the community's cultural canon. Recently with her elders, she created a Paiwan warriors song, now regularly performed, the first time a woman has taken this role.
Photo: SIBS concert at 2023 TIFA Taiwan International Festival of Arts by Gelée Lai
Richard Mogu
Magi, Papua New Guinea
From Amazon Bay on the south coast of Papua New Guinea, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Richard Mogu has been a feature musician in PNG for many years as a solo artist and session musician. Excelling in both traditional and contemporary style. Whilst bass is his feature instrument, he is also adept at mambu (bamboo flutes), garamut drumming, guitars and percussion.
He was taught by legendary Sanguma founder Tony Subam. Mogu has also been involved as a producer of other PNG artists and toured internationally inc' London Olympic cultural festival, Australia and the USA.
Photo: SIBS concert at 2023 TIFA Taiwan International Festival of Arts by Gelée Lai
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