1. |
Marasudj
04:05
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Sung by Sauljaljui in Paiwan of Taiwan
O~hai yan ho~~ho ~~o
Originally in Amis of Taiwan
(Amis improvisation)
Sung by Emlyn in Creole of Mauritius
My islander families
Sung by Vaiteani in Tahitian of Tahiti
May the energy of our islands surround us
May the legacy of our children live on
Sung by Sammy in Malagasy of Madagascar
Heal our land, Zanahary (the ancestral spirit),
we ask for your blessing
Sung by Mogu in Pidgin of Papua New Guinea
They're coming, look!
Over the horizon they come
Worse than the war with America & Japan
Run or hide, calamity is coming,
look over the horizon
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2. |
Listwar Zanset
04:39
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Originally sung by Emlyn in Creole of Mauritius
Sometimes I think about
How bad things were in these days
Chained up from morning till night
Treated as animals by the colonizers..
No, we should not forget
All those who fought for their freedom
They just wanted to be free
They fought for their freedom
And for us to be free today
... They just wanted to be free...
to be free... to be free..
Originally sung by Putad in Amis of Taiwan
Such a beautiful place.
They took it away.
“What are you saying?”
“I don’t understand”
Learn our language
Even at the end we have nothing left
I believe the land and ocean will protect us
We are going to be part of Kawas (the
ancestral spirit)
Originally spoken by Selina in Marshallese of Marshall Islands & English
The ancestors
Our islands/lands
Land
Their people displaced,
Their lands taken,
My lands, drowning
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3. |
Ta’u Tama
05:05
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Originally by Luc in Tahitian of Tahiti
If the ocean drowns
because of me
If the wind blows away
What will I tell my son
The sun shines
The moon smiles at us
The stars sparkle
The rainbow tells us
Take care of life
Take good care of life
If the shark disappears
because of me
If the reef darkens
What will I tell my son
The sun shines
The moon smiles at us
The stars sparkle
The rainbow tells us
Take care of life
Take good care of life
If the glacier suffers from the heat
because of me
If my island is swallowed up
What will I tell my son
Ooh ooh ooh
Take care of life
Take good care of life
Originally spoken buy Selina in Marshallese of Marshall Islands & English
Greetings
If this is the story about our islands,
it is the story for the whole world
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4. |
Pinagsanga
03:32
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Intro Spoken Word original spoken in Amis by -
Putad Pihay (Putad's grandmother) - Following our ancestors, we are the lineage of our people.
Siku Pihay (Putad's mother), - Through our mothers
Putad - Maintaining the connection to our land
Liyad (Putad's daughter) - Mother
Originally sung by Putad in Amis of Taiwan
I can not change the law of nature
I can not change the nature of animals
I’m so insignificant
Failed to protect
It’s calling me
It’s laughing at me
Humans bite off more than we can chew
Kawas is in control
The law of nature
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5. |
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Spoken by Susan In English of Vanuatu
When you see the ocean
You will know
That this is my ocean too
Originally sung by Emlyn in Creole of Mauritius
(All the names of the fishes in the sea )
Spangled Emperor, Flathead Mullet, Tuna,
Thumbprint Emperor, Macro, Yellowstripped
goatfish, zero zero, Bluespine Unicorn fish,
Swordfish — (x2)
Oyster, Giant clam, Calamari and Konokono
All that mix in the ocean
The wonders of the ocean
O wo o wo o wo — (x2)
O wo o wo o wo
Dolphins jumping, whales dancing
People fishing, swimming, some are surfing
Surfing on a magic carpet
In the horizon,
waves are forming like a camel's back
The wonders of the ocean
o wo o wo o wo — (x2)
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6. |
Maru
01:14
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By Emlyn
Deep underwater in her womb,
the ocean carries life.
The ocean gives us the air we breathe.
The tide plays the sound of peace
when it's calm and power when it is angry.
We have seen our lagoons dying,
day by day
Fishes, corals,
all types of animals are disappearing.
Beaches turning into just a childhood memory.
If we can't protect what is left,
The ocean dies,
It's the end.
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7. |
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Originally in Creole of Mauritius
Animals are suffocating with plastic
And their dead bodies
Are lying on our beaches
They have been poisoned
By all the plastic coming
From far away, from the open sea
Originally in Amis of Taiwan
Whoa oh, mercy, mercy me
Where is the beautiful fish
I still remember that beautiful place
Ocean deserves respect
Originally in Paiwan of Taiwan
Whoa oh, mercy, mercy me
With my saddened heart
Rivers are covered with concrete
River has become turbid
What’s in your mind?
Originally in Tahitian of Tahiti
Oh, mercy, mercy me
Things ain't what they used to be
How painful
Life in the ocean is disappearing
Selina Leem
In English
Should I tell you what’s happening in backyard
My backyard is waves crashing
and breaking sea walls
2 meters high
My family’s only protection from the water
Marshall Islands’ got thirty-three years left
To the developed countries
One point five
What is that?
A promise
One point five is all we’ve got
It is all we’ve got
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8. |
Madjadjumak
07:47
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Originally sung by Sauljaljui in Paiwan of Taiwan
Oh the endless great ocean
You are the path of my life
Oh the endless great ocean
You are the strength of my life
O~hai yan ho~~ho ~~o
O~hai yan ho~~ho ~~o
(Spoken word)
I know the sun tomorrow
Will rise from the same place
I will no longer be saddened as yesterday
I will find you across the mountains and valleys
I choose you to ease my pain
Listen to the calls in my heart
Listen to the tears I long for
(let’s sing together)
Listen to the calls in my heart
Listen to the tears I long for
(let’s sing together)
Even though my eyes are covered
I will pave the way for you
Let’s sing together
Even though my legs and arms are severed
I will pave the way for you
Let’s sing together
Originally spoken by Selina in Marshallese of Marshall Islands
The leaves on the day after
Are red as the sun’s fire
The trees
Their branches are broken/ their bones broken
The fronds have stopped playing with the wind
The thick rain (meaning heavy rain)
Has forgotten their children
In the soil/ land
The ocean the sea
Our ancestors/ elders
They were the ones who sailed
Fast as the flying fishes
And we all look at one another
And run towards them
As our feet touch the ocean of tears
We hug our people
They have come to save us
Haka by Jerome In Maori of Aotearoa (New Zealand)
What is right is always right! Indeed
What is right is always right! Ah… yes
Be true to yourself, my son
What is right is always right! Indeed
What is right is always right! Ah… yes
Be true to yourself, my son
You have raised my concerns, so listen up!
What is right is always right! Indeed
What is right is always right! Ah… yes
What is right is always right! Indeed
Have you got that?
Right, let’s go on!
Originally sung by Mogu in Tok Pisin of Papua New Guinea
Your land. Your rivers
The sea, the jungle & its animals,
look after them
For tomorrow
Look after them, for the next generations
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9. |
Hiro’a
03:53
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Originally in Tahitian of Tahiti
I remember
When we would go swimming in the sea
I remember
The smell of the monoi
In Punaauia
We would go there with my Dad
I can still hear the coconut palm trees
Sing the song of life
And I swim swim swim swim swim
In a ocean of memories
I recall the beauty underwater
Yes I swim swim swim swim swim
Wishing it had never ceased
Those days had a love magical kind of color
And I hope my son remembers
How the sun and the ocean melt together
Yes I hope my son remembers
That every wave on the horizon is sacred
I remember
When we would go swimming in the sea in Mahina
I remember
The softness of the sand
On Venus beach
We would go there with my Mom
Those days were bright
I can still see her smile
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10. |
Sarbon
03:50
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Originally in Creole of Mauritius
Fishermen standing on the beach
Their eyes fixing the reefs
Where a serious accident is happening
Oh, children!
Don't take out your fishing rods!
Don't come and play on the beach!
Oil is spreading in the lagoon
Let us organize ourselves!
Let us pile up dried sugar cane leaves
Tie them together and put them on the sea
To stop the oil from spreading up to the beach
Who is responsible,
when our nature is destroyed?
It's us, islanders,
who carry the pan
Here is the ship which has caused the oil slick!
This one is not a slave ship
Our island is in danger
Coal coal coal everywhere
The sacred blue water has turned as black as coal
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11. |
Tontolo Maintso
01:14
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12. |
Aoka
06:18
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Originally in Malagasy of Madagascar
Listen
The creatures die
Who burns land
burns forests
The forest will be destroyed
Humans will suffer and be sick
The world will be desperate
The world is crying
The world has nothing left
Oooooooooo
The green world no longer exists
If the forest dies
We are all going to die
The earth will become very hot
The earth will become dessert
I tell you
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13. |
Ata Renga Koe
07:34
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Originally in Rapa Nui of Easter Island
Beautiful creation you are
Son/daughter of the sky
Of the great universe
That birthed you
Floating in clear waters
That runs straight from the source of creation
Brother/sister of the birds you are
Of the skies,
of the ocean
Son/ daughter of the land
Grandchild of the sun
In yourself you carry
In your blood
The seed of life
Gifted to you by the great spirit itself
Ahhh what a long road this has been
Ahhh for you to be right here, right now
Ahhh from your place in the sun
You wake up suddenly
In the middle of the night
Shinning afar is the constellation of
Pipirima (Gemini)
And your mind wonders,
what is this journey about (life)?
How did it all started?
Who is the creator of it all?
Who is the creator of it all?
Ahhh what a long road this has been
Ahhh for you to be right here, right now
Ahhh you have been here many times before
You’ve been here many times before
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14. |
Lament for a Dying Ocean
07:52
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Originally in Amis of Taiwan
Have we all forgotten?
The ocean is the birthplace of all life
Mother of all life
It is dying
Who should protect it?
Embrace our mother
‘Til forever
(Spoken word)
Do not forget
No ocean, no life
Protect. With full strength
Originally in English & Creole of Mauritius
We’re gonna cry a river until it reaches the ocean
Originally in Hawaiian of Hawai’i
Drink the water of life
From the child to the elder, drink
The yellow leafed ‘awa, the kava of Keahialaka
And then you shall meet with Pele
Pluck the lehua
See the lei at the sea of Hopoe
Originally in Paiwan of Taiwan
(Sigh)
Our Island is losing its fight
to survive and thrive
(Sigh)
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Small Island Big Song Taipei City, Taiwan
We are artists of the Pacific & Indian Oceans.
United for environmental & cultural justice, and to make incredible music.
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