At TAIWANfest, four-piece band Kanatal epitomizes an island society with harmony that crosses borders
Taking its name from the Amis word for “island”, Kanatal performs Peace as part of the 2022 festival
Post Sponsored by taiwanfest
Kanatal.
TAIWANfest is delighted to present Peace by Kanatal on September 3 from 8 to 9:30 pm at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énk Square (north of the Vancouver Art Gallery) as part of TAIWANfest 2022, running September 3 to 5.
Kanatal [ga-na-DAL] means “island” in the Amis language; for the band of the same name, it refers to the island of Taiwan that they call home. From self-identity to ethnic integrity, music allows them to break through the constraints of language, race, and geography. The concept of Kanatal is not just limited to the “island”—it encompasses all human beings.
The four talented members of Kanatal—Suana·Emuy·Cilangasay, Abus·Tanapima, Vaqacun·Kalevuwan, and Masaw Ali—grew up in the city with little exposure to their Indigenous heritage. Through music, language, and story, they are rediscovering their roots and connecting with the world. With their multi-ethnic backgrounds, they epitomize an island society, creating explosive harmony that boldly crosses borders.
When Cilangasay came to perform in Canada in 2019, he was deeply moved by the similarities between the histories of Indigenous peoples in Taiwan and in Canada, particularly their rapidly disappearing cultures and languages. Since then, his musical journey has taken him on a mission to inspire other young Indigenous musicians in joining him to show the world, through music, what it means to be Indigenous.
The band recently performed its new EP, Current, at Vancouver Folk Music Festival and Mission Folk Festival and has had many musical and cultural exchanges with local Indigenous musicians.
The core of Kanatal’s creative direction lies in the relationship between people and nature. From self-identity to ethnic integrity, music allows them to break through the constraints of language, race, and geography. The members explore their own ethnic backgrounds from an international perspective, discovering new dialogues with the world.
There’s no such thing as music or cultural division in Kanatal: Everyone is the lead singer in this. Kanatal not only experiments with musical genres; the members also tell stories informed by their own complex identities and lived experiences. They combine influences from electronic music, rock, pop, and other genres along with their own traditional rooted elements.
Kanatal is committed to creating world music that is mainstream yet unique and true to their ancestral themes and traditions. Kanatal encompasses all human beings on the island we know as Earth.
For more information, see TAIWANfest.
Post sponsored by TAIWANfest.