布農族為臺灣原住民族的一支，分布範圍以中央山脈為主，包含南投縣的仁愛與信義鄉；花蓮卓溪鄉、萬榮鄉；臺東的海端鄉與延平鄉；及高雄的那瑪夏區與桃源區。主要分為卓社群、郡社群、卡社群、丹社群、巒社群，以及已被鄒族同化的蘭社群六個社群。郡社群人稱「歌」為hodas，對於布農族而言，常與農事、祭儀、禮俗等緊密結合在一起，是群體共同創作的聲音藝術，更是傳統社會傳達人與人、人與神之間關係的重要媒介。其中又以 Pasibutbut（祈禱小米豐收歌或稱八部合音）最為聞名。pasibutbut 的起源隨著族群遷徙及代代相傳而產生不同的說法，大體來說，布農族皆相信其起源於先祖們在戰場上的一次奇遇，至於所聽聞的內容，有人說是聽到幽谷中飛瀑壯麗的迴響；也有一說是聽見橫亙於前的巨大中空枯木中，蜂群鼓翅的共鳴聲響，令人心生肅穆敬畏，所以通力合作模仿傳唱這種聲響而形成。在這次大自然的奇遇之後，當年的小米收成比任何一年都豐盛，祖先們相信這次的奇遇是天神 （dehanin）所給予的好兆頭，因而代代相傳對這些聲響的模仿。
pasibutbut 目前只在郡社群及巒社群中使用，傳統的演唱時機和場合，與小米的生 長相關，音樂就是族人對天神的祈禱。每逢傳統布農族曆的一月播種祭（minpian）， 祭司會慎選族中男子多人圍成圓圈演唱pasibutbut，以逆時針緩步移動，藉由歌聲 上達天聽，祈求小米的播種能順利豐收並堆滿穀倉。1952 年日本音樂學者黑澤隆朝 將布農族的pasibutbut寄至聯合國教科文組織，當代知名的音樂學者對於古老的部落竟有如此繁複的多音性音樂感到驚訝，視之為人類音樂的珍寶。
除了與農事祭儀、生命禮俗結合在一起的祭儀性歌謠如 pasibutbut（祈禱小米豐收歌）、malstapan（誇功宴）、pisilahe（祭槍之歌）外，布農族在日常生活中的事務也 可以轉化成歌唱抒發，音樂形式主要以布農族慣用的 Do、Mi、Sol、Do 泛音音階的和 聲附和領唱者，或以有規律的呼喊訊息形成曲調。部份童謠、歌謠則以獨唱方式表現。 因現代化與外來文化的影響，加上戰後基督宗教的傳入，布農族以傳統農耕及狩獵 維生的生活型態，以及以小米為中心的歲時祭儀和傳統信仰深受動搖；此外部份 歌謠音樂的聲部要求獨特的音色與極佳的音感，需長時間耳濡目染的學習與摸索 才能勝任。在後繼乏人的情形下，使得布農族的 pasibutbut 沈寂了好一陣子。近 十幾年來，族人開始回頭尋求自身的文化價值，借著歌謠音樂等重要文化元素的復 興、傳承、教育，重新凝聚族群認同。現在布農族音樂 pasibutbut 音樂從原本依 附於祭典儀式，逐漸轉為文化表演的性質，登錄為傳統表演藝術類別的文化資產予 以保護，同時也成為布農族表演藝術創作的重要文化元素。
The Bunun people are one of the indigenous peoples in Taiwan who mainly live in the Central Mountain Range region, including Ranai Township and Xinyi Township in Nantou County, Zhuoxi Township and Wanrung Township in Hualien County, Haiduan Township and Yanping Township in Taitung County, and Namasia District and Taoyuan District in Kaohsiung. Bunun people consist mainly of six tribes, which are the Taketodo, Bubukun, Take-baka, Take-vatan, Take-banuan, and the Take-pulan tribe that has been assimilated by the Tsou people.
For the Bubukun tribe, hodas is the word for songs, which are closely linked to farming,ritual ceremonies, and customs. Hodas is the tribal collective vocal art, which is also an important channel in the traditional society for communicating with other people and with the gods. The most famous song of all is pasibutbut (an eight-part polyphony that is a prayer for a good millet harvest).
There are different stories regarding the origin of pasibutbut, which probably changes along with the tribal migration history and oral narration passed from generation to generation. In general, Bunun people believe the origin as a miracle the ancestors encountered on the battlefield. As for the detail of what the warriors heard, some say that it was the magnificent echo of waterfalls in the valleys, while others say that it was the resonating sounds of a swarm of bees vibrating their wings within a giant hollow tree trunk right in front of the ancestors. They would sing together to imitate such aweinspiring sounds, that later became the pasibutbut. After the amazing encounter with nature, the millet harvest that year was better than any other year. Thus the ancestors believed that the sound was a good omen from the gods (dehanin), and passed the pasibutbut from one generation to the next.
Currently, pasibutbut is used only by the Bubukun and Take-banuan tribes, and the traditional occasion and location for a singing performance is related to the growth of millet, because music is the tribal prayer to the gods. During the Bunun January sowing festival (minpian), the priest would carefully select many of the tribal men to sing pasibutbut in a circular formation that would move slowly in a counter-clockwise manner. They hoped that the voice of their songs would reach heaven, granting them blessings for a bountiful millet harvest to fill their grain storage. In 1952, Japanese musical scholar Kurosawa Takatomo sent the Bunun tribal pasibutbut to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The renowned musical scholar was quite surprised by the polyphonic nature of the music from ancient tribes, and regarded it as a musical treasure of the human race.
In addition to ceremonial songs such as the pasibutbut, malstapan (a banquet in celebration of merits), and pisilahe (song of ritual spears) that are related to farming rituals and life celebrations, the Bunun people also sing about life in general. The musical format for such songs mainly use Bunun people’s common overtone harmony of Do, Mi, Sol, and Do to accompany the lead singer, or the song may consist of rhythmic shouting of messages. Some nursery rhymes and ballads are intended as solo performances.
The traditional Bunun tribal lifestyle of farming and hunting, and the annual rituals and traditional beliefs centered around millet sowing and harvests have been greatly impacted by modernization, the influx of foreign culture, and the introduction of Christianity after the war. In addition, the vocal part of some of the songs requires unique sound qualities as well as an excellent sense of sound, such that competent singers are born only after a long time of learning and exploration. The lack of such musical talents and dedication has led to the silence of Bunun’s pasibutbut for quite a while.For the past dozen years, Bunun people have begun looking back in search of their own cultural values, to promote ethnic identity through the revival, continuance, and education of important cultural elements such as songs and music. Currently, in addition to serving its original ceremonial purpose, Bunun tribal pasibutbut music has transformed to become cultural performances. Pasibutbut has been registered as a traditional cultural asset in the category of performance-art that is to be preserved. It has also become an important cultural element of Bunun tribal performance and creative art.