Riot Artists
Small Island Big Song
About
Small Island Big Song is a music, film and performing arts project uniting the Pacific and Indian Ocean islands of our blue continent through artistic collaboration—a contemporary and relevant musical statement from a region that shares the impact of our changing sea.
ONE OCEAN is Small Island Big Song’s new production that premiered in 2025—a bold performance of scale, confronting the defining issue of our generation. Uniting their traditions of trance and ritual, our cast will take the audience on an epic musical journey, a theatrical work of urgency and passion fusing beauty, loss, anger and hope.
Extending our response to the climate and extinction crises from the stage, we offer a co-curated impact program, sharing stories, food, dance, rhythm, and song—through a deep listening process—together viewing your city as an island.
Artist Links: Website | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram
Areas of Representation: The Americas
Biography
Small Island Big Song—a music, film and performing arts project uniting the Pacific and Indian Ocean islands of our blue continent through artistic collaboration, a contemporary and relevant musical statement from a region that shares the impact of our changing sea.
The project brings together some of the most prominent oceanic artists who have made a choice to maintain the cultural voice of their people. These unique lineages mixed with their diverse contemporary styles, establish a contemporary musical dialogue between cultures, drawing on their ancestral lineage to confront contemporary issues with a hope driven vision of the future, creating “Beautiful cinematography and incredible music, one coherent, jaw-dropping piece” as described by Rob Schwartz – Billboard.
Motivated by their concerns for the ocean, Taiwanese theater producer BaoBao Chen and Australian music producer / filmmaker Tim Cole, quit their jobs after hearing the predicted effects of climate change to the oceanic nations, and spent the following eight years recording and filming with over a hundred artists on sixteen island nations, layering up songs from island to island. The project has now grown from a couple to a performing arts company of seventeen nationalities, producing two award-winning albums, a feature film, impact program, and live productions that have delivered over a hundred shows across twenty-one countries.
2025 PROJECT
ONE OCEAN is Small Island Big Song’s new production to be premiered in 2025—a bold performance of scale, confronting the defining issue of our generation. Uniting their traditions of trance and ritual, our cast will take the audience on an epic musical journey, a theatrical work of urgency and passion fusing beauty, loss, anger and hope.
As the rhythms crescendo into contemporary trance, the tide rises through a spectacular stage design, both elegant and devastating. Framed with live visuals, heart-crushing to awe-evoking imagery and intimate personal testimonies to massed voices, all filmed in community across sixteen island nations.
Extending our response to the climate and extinction crises from the stage, we offer a co-curated impact program, sharing stories, food, dance, rhythm, and song—through a deep listening process—together viewing your city as an island.
Videos
News
- Nomfusi zooms in on self-healing!
Singer’s music inspiration drawn from childhood struggles
NOMFUSI is on a journey to heal herself.
The singer, whose name is Nomfusi Gotyana, said she’s been forced to confront painful childhood experiences to understand how they’ve shaped the woman she’s become.
Nomfusi, from KwaZakhele in the Eastern Cape, told Daily Sun her healing journey has also inspired the music ... - Bia Ferreira Nominated for a Latin Grammy
This week, the 2026 Latin Grammy nominations were announced. We’re proud to see a familiar name on that list – newly signed artist Bia Ferreira. Her newest album “Améfrica” was nominated in the Best MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira)/MAPB (Música Afro Portuguesa Brasileira) Album category. The 27th Annual Latin Grammy Awards will take place on Thursday, ... - Ana Everling Included on Putumayo Discovery’s “European Escapade”
Romanian vocalist and storyteller Ana Everling is included on Putumayo Discovery’s latest compilation. European Escapade offers an adventurous musical journey across the continent, with surprising detours and appealing songs at every stop. Think of it as a Eurrail pass for the ears: no fixed route, no predetermined destinations, just the pleasure of hopping on and off ... - Manitoba musician Kelly Bado among top winners at Breakout West in Winnipeg
BreakOut West, a four-day music industry conference, three-night music festival and home of the Western Canadian Music Artistic Awards, is being held in Winnipeg from Sept. 24 to 28, with Big Dave McLean and Kelly Bado among the big winners from the home province.
Other top winners of the awards presented on Sept. 25 include Fransaskois ...
Press
“Simply brilliant” ★★★★★ – Songlines, UK
“Beautiful cinematography and incredible music… one coherent, jaw-dropping piece’’ – Billboard, USA
‘The most important music documentary you will watch this year’ – Beat Magazine. AUS
“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, AUS
“A playful and potent soundtrack. Utterly wonderful” – Stuart Derdeyn, Vancouver Sun, CANADA
“One of our favorite albums of the week, it’s not the usual thing” – Lauren Laverne show BBC Radio 6 Music, UK
Awards
Winner – 2019 Songlines Music Award UK – Best Asia/Pacific album
Winner – 2019 German Record Critics’ Awards – Album of the Year
Winner – 2018 Asia Side of the Doc – Best International Project
Nominated – 2019 Independent Music Awards US – Best Concept Album
Nominated – 2019 Independent Music Awards US – Best Website
Nominated – 2022 Golden Melody Awards TAIWAN – Best Indigenous Languages Album
Nominated – 2022 Golden Melody Awards TAIWAN – Album of the Year
Downloads/Media
Technical Riders:
Small Island Big Song – RISING 2025 Rider: Download (pdf)
Press Photos (High Resolution):
All photos by Neil Schwartz
