Readers’ Photos:

See the Sound of Ideas—Local Music and Musicians

September 2022

中文日本語

Igniting Taiwanese Rock Music (Kent Chuang)

Punk-influenced Kaohsiung band Fire EX. sings in Taiwanese about the times we live in and their deep love for Taiwan, writing and performing such highly popular tracks as “Good Night! Formosa!” and “Island’s Sunrise,” which kindle fans’ hopes for Taiwan’s future.

See the Sound of Ideas—Local Music and Musicians

Thundering War Drums (Zhang Wenxiong)

The thrillingly boisterous “war drums” performance during the Lantern Festival bamboo torch procession in Beipu, Hsinchu County, draws huge crowds.

Electronica and Paiwan Melodies (Lin Min-hsuan)

In her song “Kinakaian” (“Mother Tongue”), Abao sings “The language we speak flows naturally / How beautiful it sounds.” Listeners will surely feel the joie de vivre she expresses in the song.

Moonlight Sea Concerts (Kent Chuang)

Taiwan has music festivals all year round, and forests, beaches, cities and historic districts can all play host to performance stages. Unique natural and cultural settings are not only part of the show, they are also an excellent way to brand Taiwan’s music for an international audience.

Adorable Little Drummers (Huang Youzhu)

The annual parade of marching bands attracts bands from around the country to take part. Among them, the bands composed of preschoolers attract the greatest attention, earning applause from the countless onlookers who line the streets.

The Paiwan Nose Flute (Jimmy Lin)

The art of playing the nose flute was nearly lost, but now a number of nose flute educators have been trained, to keep indigenous legends and stories alive through music.

Truku Xylophone Performance (Wang Qiwen)

The Truku indigenous people of Wanrong Township in Hualien County hold an annual thanksgiving ceremony, Mgay Bari, every October. It builds community solidarity and expresses thanks to the spirits of the ancestors for their benevolence. The mass xylophone performance put on by children amply demonstrates the Truku people’s feelings of gratitude.

The Tao Hair Dance (Chen Xiumei)

The Tao indigenous people live on Lanyu (Orchid Island) in Taitung County. Tao women dress in traditional attire to perform the hair dance, during which they sing the old song “Valachingi ya Ganam.” With their hands crossed in front of their chests and their knees bent, in movements that imitate the rhythm of ocean waves the dancers swing their long hair forward to touch the ground, then quickly straighten up to throw their hair upward and backward. The strength and rhythm of the performance evokes the people’s spirit of unity.