Update: July 20, 2:21 p.m.
The Nibun Chorus secured two gold medals at the World Choir Games 2024 on Saturday (July 20), bringing Taiwan's total to three gold and one silver medal in the competition.
The chorus triumphed in both Category C19 “Contemporary Music-Mixed Voices” and Category C27 “Folklore and Indigenous Music with Accompaniment,” per Nibun Chorus. Founded in 2017, the Nibun Chorus derives its name from the Bunun word for "teeth."
The group aims to connect local youth to their hometown through music and foster a sense of community. They achieve this by collecting, preserving, and re-arranging local music, encompassing Indigenous, Hakka, new immigrant, and Hokkien traditions, contributing to cultural preservation efforts, per CNA.
Published: July 15, 18:00 p.m.
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Three choirs from Kaohsiung participated in the World Choir Games 2024 in New Zealand, with two securing gold and silver medals on Sunday (July 14).
Their repertoire paid homage to Taiwan's cultural richness, rearranging traditional melodies from the Indigenous Bunun and Pingpu tribes, as well as Hakka traditions, under the guidance of local elders. This breathed new life into the ancient songs, allowing them to shine on the international stage, per CNA.
Nibun Chorus, Bao Lai Junior High School Choir, and the Kahuzas youth choir represented Taiwan at the competition. Bao Lai Junior High School Choir won a gold medal in the one category, and the Kahuzas youth choir won silver in another.
Baolai Junior High School Choir won gold in the Champions Competition's Category C28,"Folklore and Indigenous Music with Choreography." Meanwhile, the Kahuzas youth choir earned a silver medal in the Open Competition's Category O2, “Children's Choirs.”
Baolai Junior High School Principal Pan Ru-ping (潘如萍) thanked those who supported the choirs' journey. She praised the students for their exceptional performances and results.
Pan said the students' experiences, encompassing rigorous rehearsals, intense competition, and enriching cultural exchange activities, will serve as valuable assets in their efforts to promote international diplomacy.
