This is the condensed version of the "UN for Folk Song" section of the "Kaleidoscope on Folk Songs of the World" exhibition taking place at the Hengchun Folk Song House in Pingtung, Taiwan, which is planned by ICAA Taiwan.  A glance at some of the most representative folk songs around the world.

(Photo source : Lis-Mari, Sweden)

Voice from the Artic – Sami Yoik
The traditional song of the Sami, the yoik, is a way for the singer to come close to that which he is thinking about.  The yoiker sings to nature, to people, to animals and to different happenings.  It does not have to contain words; in a sound, a person or an animal can be imaged.  Earlier on it was a part of the ceremonies of the Noajdde (shaman).  By means of yoik, the Noajdde could get into a trance and travel to other worlds.  A large portion of today's newly created Sami music is based upon the yoik's rhythm and characteristics.

(Photo source : Frank, Swiss)

Yodeling of the Alpine Shepherds
Yodeling is a form of singing that involves singing an extended note which rapidly and repeatedly changes in pitch from the vocal chest register (chest voice) to the head register (head voice), making a high-low-high-low sound.  It was probably developed in the Swiss Alps as a method of communication between mountain peaks, and it became later a part of the traditional music of the region.
The alphorn was used as a tool of the alpine cowherd to call the cows from the pasture to the dairy when it was time for them to be milked.  The main function of the alphorn was also the communication with the herdsmen of the neighboring Alps and with the people of the village down in the valley. 


The Austronesian Ancestral Songs – Hudhud Chants of Ifugao The Hudhud consists of narrative chants traditionally performed by the Ifugao community, which is well known for its rice terraces extending over the highlands of the northern island of the Philippines. It is practiced during the rice sowing season, at harvest time and at funeral wakes and rituals. The Hudhud comprises more than 200 chants, which tell about ancestral heroes, customary law, religious beliefs and traditional practice. The narrators, mainly elderly women, hold a key position in the community. It is chanted alternately by the first narrator and a choir, employing a single melody for all the verses. (Photo source : Rebecca, Philippines)

Celebrations on the Oceania Islands –
Lakalaka Dances and Sung Speeches of Tonga
Often considered Tonga's national dance, Lakalaka is a blend of choreography, oratory, and vocal and instrumental polyphony. This cultural expression is practiced by communities throughout the islands at important celebrations such as the coronation of the monarch and anniversaries of the constitution. The term Lakalaka means "to step briskly or carefully" in local language. Performances involve large groups of up to several hundred people. Participants are aligned in rows, men on the right and women on the left. The men dance in rapid and energetic movements, while the women execute graceful dance steps coordinated with elegant hand gestures. Both groups clap and sing as they move. The polyphonic singing coupled with the synchronized movements of hundreds of dancers offers an impressive spectacle. (Photo source : ICAA Taiwan)