In the Tabangu villge deep in Mt. Ali, there is a group of music-loving farmers who grew up listening to 70’s rock music. That’s right, baby. Are you ready for some real music?
I’unu, literally “virgin forest”, is a rock band formed by a group of Tsou (鄒族) farmers in 1986. Between 1997 and 2000, I’unu released three albums and toured around different tribes as the first indigenous band that broke into the mainstream music industry of Taiwan. Later, out of practical reasons, the members returned to their home village to work as farmers, growing vegetables, bamboo shoots and tea plants. However, without disbanding, the band still practiced regularly and performed on several occasions.
1997 is the year that the indigenous pop singer Amei swept Taiwanese people off their feet. In the same year, another indigenous album also grabbed music critics attention and was deemed as one of the most interesting albums of 1997 —— It was I’unu.
