Hear the people who sing for the sea. Small Island Big Song unites islanders, who share an ancient seafaring ancestry and language, in a contemporary musical statement from a region on the frontline of cultural and environmental challenges.

The Small Island Big Song spring 2022 North American tour features a multimedia concert and residency at Penn State with instrumentalists and vocalists from the nations of New Zealand, Taiwan, Australia, Madagascar, Solomon Islands, Mauritius, Marshall Islands, Papa New Guinea, and Tahiti.

Small Island Big Song evolved from visits to sixteen island nations by Australian filmmaker and music producer Tim Cole and Taiwanese film producer BaoBao Chen. They worked with more than 100 artists, elders, community groups, and grassroots musicians. The result is a stunning collaboration reuniting the distant yet interconnected musical traditions of the Pacific and Indian oceans.

In 2018, the collaboration launched its fair trade and climate action-driven project through social, audio, film, and performance content on a global scale. The group’s self-titled debut album is a Fair Trade Music release with 50 percent of the net profit going back to artists and non-governmental organizations.

Join them for their live performance at Penn State’s Eisenhower Auditorium. Tickets are $38 for adults, $28 for youth, and $15 for University Park Penn State students.

Penn State’s Sustainability Institute will be featuring a film related to the project on Wednesday, April 20, 2022: https://intersections.psu.edu/sibs/. Other related activities include the Sustainability Institute’s Showcase with lead artists from the project BaoBao Chen and Tim Cole on March 25, 2022; an “upcycled instrument” jam session with the artists on April 5, 2022; and a panel discussion with the artists hosted by the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences on April 6, 2022.