2023
About the Program
“No one is an outsider” is a song by Taiwanese Amis musician Panai Kusui, meaning everyone lives together on this land. The lyrics have been widely quoted in advocacy for various public issues. DJ Dungi Sapor, as an Indigenous musician, has always remained true to her own identity throughout her life journey. She combines electronic music with traditional cultural melodies and sounds to show the pride of the Indigenous peoples. Aiko Tomi is a Taiwanese-Japanese mixed-race female immigrant. She boldly expresses her multiple identities and social observations through indie rock music. These two musicians with their varying backgrounds will inspire each other and create sparks on the TAIWANfest stage, showing the unbreakable confidence in their self-worth.
DJ Dungi Sapor grew up in the glorious Cikasuan village of the Amis tribe in Hualien. She was discriminated against and excluded by her peers because of her Indigenous identity when she was a child, but this did not destroy her confidence in her identity. She even studied finance law in hopes of helping her tribe and her people, and was also briefly an assistant at the National Congress of Taiwan. By reinterpreting and innovating with new music, she integrates Indigenous culture into contemporary sound, breaking the stereotype of Indigenous music. At the same time, she appreciates the traditional sounds of the world’s Indigenous population. She is currently experimenting with integrating the hand drum of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, and will be sharing her new creation for the first time at this event.
Alt-pop artist AIKO TOMI is known for her big energy and unexpected lyricism. Her hyper-acute, internet-tinged pop songs are a neon-coloured social commentary on disposable culture and the ultra-connected, always-online presence that puts ego and image above all else. The bold physicality in both her visuals and live performances encourage audiences to embrace their own version of uninhibited expression. A self-described “spicy-wholesome Chaotic Neutral”, AIKO TOMI has appeared on Complex Canada, the TD Music Connected Series, Breaking Sound, and RAW Artists Canada.
From the Curating Team
Indigenous communities in Canada and Taiwan are reclaiming their heritage, blending traditional and contemporary art into a refreshing take on the journey of self-identity. This performance series showcases the beauty of cultural convergence, featuring Chinese orchestral music, Indigenous songs, and electronic music.
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Performance / Vendor / Sponsorship Opportunities
TAIWANfest Toronto is grateful to be held on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, that is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We acknowledge our privilege to be gathered here, and commit to work with and be respectful to the Indigenous peoples of this land while we engage in meaningful conversations of culture and reconciliation.