Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te expressed his condolences over the demise of artistic director of the Taiwu Ancient Ballads Troupe Camake Valaule (查馬克．法拉屋樂) who passed away on Aug. 12 at the age of 42.
At his memorial service, Lee conferred a Grade-III Medal of Culture in recognition of his life-long achievements. Ministry of Culture has proposed awarding a presidential citation posthumously to Camake Vakaule.
Camake Valaule belonged to the Paiwan ethnic group in Laiyi Township (來義鄉), Pingtung where he served as the dean of Pingtung’s Taiwu Elementary School and won the Teacher's Award. In addition to directing the choir Taiwu Ancient Ballads Troupe which he founded at the Taiwu Elementary School, the album he recorded "Singing a Beautiful Song (唱一首好聽的歌)" was nominated for Best Aboriginal Album at the 18th Golden Melody Awards in 2007.
In 2012, the album "Where the Songs Begin (歌開始的地方)" won the 23rd Golden Melody Award for Best Traditional Music Interpretation.
In 2014, "To & From the Heart (歌·飛過群山)" won the 25th Golden Melody Award for Best Indigenous Language Album, reflecting the beauty in the fusion of ancient ballads and other genres.
Camake Valaule's role in the recent historical TV series "Seqalu: Formosa 1867 (斯卡羅)" as Paiwan clan leader Cuqicuq Garuljigulj (卓杞篤) also fully conveyed the vitality of Taiwan's indigenous peoples.
The Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te pointed out that Camake Valaule had devoted his life to the nurture of cultural skills and education of indigenous peoples, in addition to the preservation and transmission of ancient tribal songs.
The world will be infinitely grateful for his love, recognition, and promotion of indigenous cultures, and the MOC will continue to uphold his spirit in promotion of Taiwan's multiculturalism, Lee added.