Suming

Suming Rupi
Suming performing in Taipei, in 2010
Background information
Born	(1978-07-17) 17 July 1978 (age 38) Taitung County, Taiwan
Genres	Folk rock Electronic dance music Pop
Occupation(s)	Musician, songwriter, actor
Instruments	Guitar Vocals Flute
Years active	2002–present
Labels	Wonder Music
Website	johnsuming.com

Suming Rupi (born 17 July 1978) is a Taiwanese indigenous musician, singer, songwriter and actor. He is a member of the "Lacienci" (拉千禧) age organization (a form of social organization that is characteristic of Pangcah) of A'tolan.

Suming Rupi is a member of the A'tolan community of the Pangcah (also known as "Amis") people, who live in Taitung County. Rupi is his grandmother's given name. He often only goes by his given name "Suming". He is also known as Chiang Sheng-min, his Chinese name. He sees tradition as fashionable and stylish, and often appears in Pangcah traditional dress on stage.

Suming began his music career with the band Totem (圖騰樂團) in 2002. He serves as one of the two vocalists and the main songwriter of the band. Totem won the first prize in the 7th Hohaiyan Rock Festival, which is held annually in Gongliao District, New Taipei. Totem released two albums, Over There I Sing (我在那邊唱) in 2006 and Shepherd Boy (放羊的孩子) in 2009, and was nominated for the Best Band the Golden Melody Awards in 2007 and 2010 for both albums. Suming notably used the Pangcah language in rap style in a song "Panay, 19-years-old (巴奈十九)", taken from Over There I Sing. In 2006, the Association of Music Workers in Taiwan listed the song as one of the 10 Best Singles of the year, and Over There I Sing as one of the 10 Best Albums of the year.

In 2010, Suming released an eponymous first solo album, writing 10 out of the 11 songs; all the lyrics are in Pangcah. One reason Suming wrote lyrics all in Pangcah in his 2010 album, Suming, and the attempt to crossover in different music genres is to get the younger generation in his community, who have become fond of Japanese and Korean pop songs, interested in learning their mother tongue. He holds concert/talk tours in Taiwan to raise fund for the annual training of the pakalongay, Pangcah youths between 12 and 18 that are not yet admitted into the age organizations, to obtain basic skills that are required to become Kapah (the young men in age organizations) according to the Pangcah tradition.

According to anthropologist Futuru C.L. Tsai, "It is not the first Amis music album but is the first one attempting to crossover into popular music market in Taiwan, combining indigenous melodies such as Amis polyphony and flutes together with techno-trance, hip-hop, and Taiwanese folk music." The album is well received in the Taiwanese market, entered the KKBOX Western Chart TOP 100 List for 8 consecutive months. Suming received the Best Album and the Best Live Performance at the inaugural Golden Indie Music Award in 2011 for this album and its release party. The album also won the Best Aboriginal Album of the 22nd Taiwan Golden Melody Awards in 2011, and Suming was nominated for the best singer and the Best Album Producer (of all music categories, with Lin, Hui-Bin).