Small Island Big Song

A music, film & performing arts project collaborating with islander musicians of the Pacific & Indian Ocean.

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ALBUM | FILM | CONCERT | IMPACT

Small Island Big Song is a music, film and performing arts project uniting the islands of the Pacific and Indian Ocean through artistic collaboration, a contemporary and relevant musical statement from a region that shares an ancient seafaring heritage and the impact of our changing sea.

After hearing the 5th IPCC report, Taiwanese theatre producer BaoBao Chen and Australian music producer/filmmaker Tim Cole quit their jobs and spent three years visiting artists on their homelands, recording with their guidance in nature, sharing songs from island to island. The outcomes include two award-winning albums, a feature film, edu' programs, and a live concert that has toured to eighteen countries of four continents reaching over 200K+ live audiences since the world premiere at SXSW 2018.


◆ IN DEVELOPMENT

We're currently looking for international partners and presenters for our third production ‘OneOcean’ - a theatrical concert & new album. Come chat with us at booth 114.

Premiere tours
Late 2025 - Asia & N. America
2026 - Europe & Oceania

BaoBao Chen baobao@smallislandbigsong.com
Tim Cole tim@smallislandbigsong.com



◆ CONCERT
A theatrical concert of musicians performing live backed by film shot during a 3-year field trip to the artists homelands.

2018/19 Førde (Norway), Rudolstadt (Germany), Colours of Ostrava (Czech Republic), EtnoSur (Spain)
2022 Twenty-three performing art centers (USA), 2022 Italian Capital of Culture (Italy)
2023 WOMADelaide (Australia), TIFA (Taiwan), ACC world music fest (S. Korea), Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi (UAE)
2024 Eighteen performing art centers (USA)


◆ ALBUM

Winner - Songlines Music Award UK 2019 - Best Asia/Pacific album
Winner - The Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (German Record Critics' Awards) 2019 - Album of the Year
Nominated - Independent Music Awards US 2019 - Best Concept Album & Best Website
Nominated - Golden Melody Awards Taiwan 2022 - Best Indigenous language album & Album of the year

'Album of the Week' - "It's not a usual thing!" - Lauren Laverne, BBC Radio 6
★★★★★ "Simply Brilliant!" - Seth Jordan, Songlines Magazine, UK
★★★★★ “For too long the term ‘world music’ has applied overwhelmingly to music from Africa, the Indian subcontinent and South America. Asia and the Pacific have been the Cinderellas at the party. Not anymore!” Sydney Morning Herald AU


More info
https://www.smallislandbigsong.com

participating in

  • WOMEX 2023
  • WOMEX 2022
  • WOMEX, Digital Edition, feat. Budapest Ritmo
  • WOMEX 2019
  • WOMEX 2018
  • WOMEX 2017
  • WOMEX 2015
stand number WOMEX 23: 114

Members

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News

Online) A Musical Journey to the islands of Asia, Pacific & Indian oceans.

Small Island Big Song - Musicians united by...

Video) Small Island Big Song project trailer

Small Island Big Song is an independent music and...

Live) Small Island Big Song Cinematic Concert at World Stage Design 2017

Small Island Big Song is an ambitious world music...

In celebration of water, The Vanuatu Water Women.

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