Difang and Igay Duana

Difang Duana (1921–2002) and Igay Duana (1922–2002), Chinese names Kuo Ying-nan (郭英男) and Kuo Hsiu-chu (郭秀珠), were an Amis husband and wife farmers who became known as a folk music duo from Taiwan who specialized in traditional Amis chants. Their most recognized work is of a performance of a traditional Amis Palang song (alternately called "Weeding and Paddyfield Song No. 1", "Elders' Drinking Song", and "Jubilant Drinking Song") which was recorded by a French government project and EMI, and which was subsequently sampled by the musical project Enigma for their international hit single "Return to Innocence". Accusations of plagiarism were primarily settled out of court.

Musical career

In 1988 Difang and Igay traveled to France to sing on a tour, during which they and around 30 other aboriginal Taiwanese artists were paid $15 a day. Their performances were recorded without their knowledge by the Maison des Cultures du Monde (Institute for World Cultures), part of the French Ministère de L'éducation Nationale (National Education Ministry) and put onto an "anonymous" compilation of "Taiwanese aboriginal songs". The French government then sold the recording, again without permission or public announcement, to EMI. EMI allowed Enigma to use the recording as a sample track for their song, which was used to promote the 1996 Summer Olympics. After the Taiwanese press identified the duo, they were given a contract with Magic Stone, a subsidiary of indie label Rock Records, the recording company behind Cheer Chen and other popular Taiwanese singers. However, their achievement and recognition was only known within Taiwan.

While the couple were pleased with Enigma's editing, they asked EMI to acknowledge the contribution of both the Amis' song and the Duanas' performance, and asked whether they could sing the song at the opening of the Olympics. EMI ignored them. Magic Stone's lawyer then contacted a law firm named Dewey Ballantine in the United States to negotiate a legal suit. The suit against EMI was settled out of court in July 1999. The couple used some of the money to set up a scholarship fund for Amis children. Magic Stone's attorney also won a suit against the French government, but the government insisted on giving the money to a French folk art foundation in trust, not to the Duanas.

Michael Cretu of Enigma has stated that he had been led to believe that the recording was in the public domain, and that he did not intentionally violate the Kuos' copyright.^[1]

In response to these lawsuits, a local Taiwanese recording industry representative, from the Association of Recording Copyright Owners, said that folk music was in the public domain and aboriginal people who performed or arranged it could not claim any copyright on it.

Magic Stone Records collaborated with Dan Lacksman of Deep Forest to mix a chart-topping ethnic electronica CD, Circle of Life, released under the artist name Difang but which contains music from both Difang and his wife Igay. This was followed with Across the Yellow Earth in 2001, but Difang died soon after its release.

Discography

• Uncredited ("anonymous") recording in Polyphonies vocales des aborigènes de Taïwan, Ministère de l'éducation nationale, 1988
• "Return to Innocence", EMI Records, 1993
• Circle of Life, Magic Stone Records, 1998 (reached No. 1 in Japan and Taiwan)
• Across the Yellow Earth, Magic Stone Records, 2001

References

• Taylor, T. "A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery". In René T A Lysloff (ed.), Music and Technoculture, Weslyan University Press 2003. ISBN 0819565148

1. ^ RTI Article (archived), EnigmaLair, Geocities.com

External links

• Article in Travel in Taiwan
• Article at Taiwan First Nations
• Article in Taiwan Review
• (Chinese) Artist page on GoGoRock

Persondata
Name	Difang and Igay Duana
Alternative names	Kuo Ying-nan and Kuo Hsiu-chu
Short description	Taiwanese farmers and musicians
Date of birth	1921
Place of birth
Date of death	2002
Place of death