The members of Ka-silaw are the next generation of musicians from the Amis Tribe. Not only do they compose their own music and pass down traditional music to future generations, they also have an incredible ability to get audiences up on their feet and moving to the catchy rhythms of their music.
With each performance, they use modern instruments and a lively style of performance to share with audiences the festive atmosphere of the indigenous villages.
When it came time to enter high school, I left the village to go and study in the city. Not long after I entered the new school, my classmates began calling me “mountain man” and even worse names. I hated to hear those nicknames and I longed to return to my home in the village. Never once, though, did I turn my back on my roots. I brought my guitar with me to school, and I loved to sing and play the guitar in my spare time. I joined the guitar club and I once even got up the courage to perform before all of the students and teachers of our school. Instead of singing a song I learned in the guitar club, I chose to sing an Amis folk song from our village. I was afraid that when I was done, I'd never again have another opportunity to sing. But to my surprise, singing that song from our village left a deep and lasting impression on the students and teachers. Eventually, my classmates began calling me by my real name and I was given the respect I deserved.
Back in high school there was an upperclassman of mine who I will never forget. He looked exactly like an indigenous person, and he had a bit of an aboriginal accent when he spoke. But he would never admit to his native background, and would even go to great efforts to learn and speak foreign languages. Even though we don't know each other, I still remember him clearly. I wonder if he has learned to accept and to acknowledge his background.
The song “Tears is written by the members of Ka-silaw, inspired by the tears of our elders. It's sung for all aborigines, to remind them that we have our own cultures, languages, bloodlines, and folk songs: “Young people living and working in cities far from our village, return to the village and see that we, the elders, are the only ones who remain. Can you see these tears that we shed? We are calling out for you – can you hear us? Hurry home! The village needs you. Don't forget your people.”
鹹豬肉狩獵隊