{{Short description|Taiwanese singer-songwriter, guitarist and social activist}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2020}} {{BLP sources|date=January 2014}} thumb|Panai Kusui '''Panai Kusui''' ({{zh|c=巴奈·庫穗|p=Bānài Kùsuì}}; Chinese name: {{zh|c=柯美黛|p=Kē Měidài}}; born 1969) is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter, guitarist and social activist.<ref>{{cite news |last= Lin|first= Chia-nan|date= January 20, 2019|title= Aboriginal advocates move lilies as they evacuate protest camp in 228 peace park|url= http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2019/01/20/2003708296|work= Taipei Times|location= Taipei|access-date= October 8, 2019}}</ref> Her parents are of the Puyuma and Amis tribes of southeastern Taiwan.
==Music career== Panai's first album "ni-wa-wa" was released in 2000 and received an award as one of the top 10 albums of the year by the China Times.<ref name="TCM">{{cite web | title=Taiwan Color Music |url=http://www.tcmusic.com.tw/artist/panai/Index.htm}}</ref>
Panai has performed at Tiehua Music Village in Taitung City, which was established by the Lovely Taiwan Foundation to promote indigenous music and culture.<ref>{{cite news |author1=Ho Yi |title=Events and entertainment listings |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2014/06/13/2003592630 |access-date=30 June 2024 |date=13 June 2014}}</ref> She also performed at the fifteenth Migration Music Festival in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gibson |first1=Liam |title=Women on the road |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2017/09/29/2003679346 |access-date=30 June 2024 |work=Taipei Times |date=29 September 2017}}</ref>
In 2024, Panai won the Golden Melody Award for Best Taiwanese Album for ''Iā-Pô'' (夜婆).<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lin |first1=Sean |last2=Wang |first2=Hsin-yu |title=No Party For Cao Dong biggest winner at Golden Melody Awards |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/culture/202406300002 |access-date=29 June 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=29 June 2024}}</ref> During her acceptance speech, Panai mentioned the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, and her comments were censored from the internet in China.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wang |first1=Hsin-yu |last2=Lee |first2=Hsin-Yin |title=China's censoring of 'Tiananmen' remarks highlights Taiwan's value: Singer |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/202406300005 |access-date=30 June 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=30 June 2024}} Republished as: {{cite news |title=China's censorship underscores value of Taiwan: singer |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2024/07/01/2003820140 |access-date=1 July 2024 |work=Taipei Times |date=1 July 2024}}</ref>
==Activism== Panai supported Democratic Progressive Party candidate Tsai Ing-wen in the 2016 Taiwanese presidential election campaign, voicing her support for Tsai, whose grandmother was Paiwan. Panai sang aboriginal songs at Tsai's campaign rallies and post-election victory events, including Tsai's investiture.<ref name="LeMonde20200123" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Loa |first1=Iok-sin |title=Democracy focus of celebrations |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2016/05/21/2003646752 |access-date=30 June 2024 |date=21 May 2016}}</ref> Panai, at these events, voiced the need of formal apologies to aboriginal peoples for past abuses. Elected president, Tsai fulfilled these requests and presented formal apologies to aboriginal populations.<ref name="LeMonde20200123" />
In February 2017, Tsai Ing-wen's government declared a series of public lands as aboriginal ancestral territories.<ref name="LeMonde20200123">{{Cite news|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2020/01/22/a-taiwan-la-resistance-des-aborigenes_6026825_3210.html|title=« A l'allure où vont les choses, que restera-t-il de nos cultures ? » : à Taïwan, la résistance des aborigènes|newspaper=Le Monde.fr|date=January 22, 2020}}</ref> Panai denounced the moves as insufficient since it did not return lands previously taken and now owned by private entities, including notorious mines.<ref name="LeMonde20200123" /> Panai's objection was based on two principles: the right of surviving aboriginal tribes to get back their whole territories, and the request for autonomy consistent enough so aboriginal community could negotiate as equals with the government.<ref name="LeMonde20200123" /> Panai was one of the leaders of the Indigenous Ketagalan Boulevard protest concerning the delineation of traditional lands of Taiwanese aborigines.<ref>{{cite news |title=Uprooted by Taipei, indigenous people undaunted in fight for rights |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/society/201804050006 |access-date=30 June 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=5 April 2018}}</ref> On February 23, she occupied using tents the grass ground facing the Presidential Office Building, but was moved out 100 days later, installing herself near a metro entrance, and after 600 (January 2019) had to move again to a nearby park.<ref name="LeMonde20200123" /> During the protest, Panai won an appeal against a fine levied by the Taipei City Government,<ref>{{cite news |title=Indigenous singer wins appeal against fine, but fight goes on |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202008120014 |access-date=30 June 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=12 August 2020}} Republished as: {{cite news |title=Panai Kusui continues her battle for land rights |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2020/08/13/2003741610 |access-date=30 June 2024 |work=Taipei Times |date=13 August 2020}}</ref> and continued camping until the presidential inauguration of William Lai.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lo |first1=James |last2=Chang |first2=Hsiung-feng |title=Indigenous activist to end 7-year protest camp on inauguration day |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/society/202405060014 |access-date=30 June 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=6 May 2024}}</ref>
Panai Kusui has also participated in commemorations of the February 28 incident<ref>{{cite news |title=FEATURE/Remembering Feb. 28 Incident: Taiwan's youth turn to music |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/politics/202302280014 |access-date=30 June 2024 |agency=Central News Agency |date=28 February 2023}}</ref> and supported the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dozens of singers, musicians produce song to support Hong Kong |url=https://focustaiwan.tw/cross-strait/201906280009 |access-date=30 June 2024 |date=28 June 2019}} Republished as: {{cite news |title=Taiwanese, Hong Kong artists write song for protesters |url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2019/06/30/2003717867 |access-date=30 June 2024 |date=30 June 2019}}</ref>
==Discography== * ''ni-wa-wa'' (泥娃娃) — 2000, TCM # 泥娃娃 Ni Wa-Wa # 不要不要討好 Me Myself # 流浪記 Wandering # 浮沈 Floating, Sinking # 捆綁 Tied Up in Knots # 大武山美麗的媽媽 My Beautiful Mother, Da-Wu Mountain # 過日子 Sometimes # 失去你 Gone is Gone # 天堂 Heaven # 你知道你自己是誰嗎 Do You Know Who You Are? # 怎會會這樣 Why？ # 每一天 Every Day's Dream
* ''Pur-dur & Panai Unplugged Live'' — 2001, TCM # I'm Happy Because You're Happy # Ho-ai-yE-yan # Tied Up in Knots # Talking # Why? # Rice Wine # My Beautiful Mother, Da-Wu Mountain # Memories of Orchid Island # Talking # Yi-na-pa-yiu-ddia # Talking # MuMu's Blue # Rain and You # Relaxed and Happy # Ho-yi-na-lu-wan # Tai-ba-lang Folksong
* ''A Piece of Blue'' # 海歸 (Sea return) # 媽媽請你不要放心 (Don't worry mama) # 我 (Me) # Talaluki # 我和自己 (Me and myself) # 看到你的臉 (When I see your face) # 愛!愛!愛! (Love you!) # 飄 (Drifting) # 停在那片藍 (A piece of blue) # Afternoon
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category|Panai Kusui}} *[http://puyuma.com/pa-nai/ Panai website]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Panai}} Category:Taiwanese singer-songwriters Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:Puyuma people Category:Amis people Category:Taiwanese women activists