new single TA'U TAMA ft. Vaiteani & Luc of Tahiti

This is the first single we've released in 3 years - Songwriting, recording, filming all remotely through the fortnightly virtual meet up over the past 8 months. We fell in love with Vaiteani & Luc's music in 2019 and have all been working closely (& remotely!) over the past year. Luc wrote the song Ta’u Tama for Tehau, their newborn son, over his concerns for the world we are passing onto future generations.

“If the reef loses its colour, if my island is swallowed up,

what will I tell my son?”

The song has grown from guitar & vocals to a song full of richness & diversities since they shared the song with rest of the Small Island Big Song ensemble. Putad 漂流出口 of the Amis people of Taiwan added an improvisation chant on the beach her granddad taught her swim, Emlyn & Kokol overdubbed the rhythm of Mauritian Sega, Sauljaljui 戴曉君 of Paiwan people of Taiwan and Poemoana of Tahiti choreographed a piece of dance, Madagascar music legend Sammy added his Valiha, and master drummer Airileke of Papua New Guinea set the song on the Pacific rhythm. Selina Leem, the youngest speaker at COP21 ended the song with a quote “If this is the story for our islands, this is the story for the whole world.”