In recent years, enthusiasts have gathered together stories of old songs or sponsored concerts of old music, and recently a new TV program featuring old Taiwanese songs has proved popular, especially with older viewers. They can follow the melodies back in time to simpler days; people seem to be a lot more carefree when they hear this music.
"Mother tongue" means the language that surrounds one from birth. No matter how much time passes, on hearing that hometown sound you feel a sense of warmth. I'm sure the three generations who have grown up in Taiwan since WWII, no matter when they came here, get a heartwarming feeling on hearing old Taiwanese songs like "Embracing the Spring Breeze," "White Peony," or "Rainy Night Flower."
By taking a closer look at old songs, you can understand more about society and people's lives back then. "Embracing the Spring Breeze" tells of a young girl's thoughts of love; "Rainy Night Flower" describes an abandoned woman forced into a life of ill repute; "Rock the Baby" depicts a mother's love; "Repairing a Broken Net" evokes the hardship of ordinary lives. . . . When you hear these old songs, you suddenly realize that the main reason they can still touch people even today is that they are not only connected with our childhood memories, but are filled with the truth of life and the wonder of human nature.
Their fundamental humanity is the reason why these songs first became popular under Japanese rule, when people were poor and politics was to be avoided. This is also why there were so many prolific songwriters and lyricists in the early years after the ROC government came to Taiwan, when there was social chaos and great deprivation. The songs express truths that no government or political power can suppress.
Human nature provides talented lyricists with unlimited material, and allows generation after generation to share similar sentiments. In the old days Taiwanese songs were supressed-turned into military songs in the Japanese occupation era, and devalued and restricted during the early days of the ROC regime-yet they survived and are today still familiar to everyone. The works of lyricists like Teng Yu-hsien, Chen Ta-ju, Li Lin-chiu, Chou Tien-wang and Lu Chuan-sheng have given solace to the millions of people who have grown up in this land.
Taiwanese songs are like a popular history of Taiwan; they are the life and soul of history. Those who wish to explore Taiwan's past and understand its people cannot ignore old Taiwanese songs, and they must know the older generation of songwriters.
At the same time, the emotions evoked by Taiwanese music inevitably raise another question: What does it mean to be "Taiwanese"? What a sensitive nerve this question strikes today! Recently off-the-cuff comments by government officials have sparked debate in the media: Are we Taiwanese or Chinese? Why are we so hamstrung by this question? If there is such polarization over identity, how can we define our own status in addressing cross-strait issues and playing our international role?
In fact, is this really such a difficult question? Logically speaking, it shouldn't be hard to reach consensus. Given the current situation, we are Taiwanese, with historical, cultural, and blood ties to mainland China. Although our country's name is the Republic of China, it is necessary to add the words "on Taiwan," otherwise few people around the world can tell the Republic of China apart from the People's Republic. That is to say, in the eyes of the rest of the world, if you are Chinese you must be from mainland China. Practically speaking, it is almost impossible to be both Chinese and Taiwanese. It is not that we are ignorant of our ancestry, or that we deny the profound impact of Chinese culture on every level of our lives. It is just that in defining ourselves at the current stage, we are all Taiwanese.
So who are the Taiwanese today? What are the defining characteristics of Taiwanese-ness? We should say that historical conditions have made a melting pot in Taiwan that includes aboriginal people, Fujianese immigrants, Hakkas, mainlanders who came here after 1945, and anyone else who has made Taiwan their home.
Old Taiwanese songs are evidence of this melting pot. Early Taiwanese music was inspired by Shanghai films, and nurtured by the Japanese-owned Columbia record company; its creators had a deep understanding of the Chinese language. Many composers had formal Japanese musical training. Many songs have aboriginal, Fujianese, and/or Hakka ingredients, and later came under Japanese influence. From old Taiwanese songs, we can say that the defining feature of being Taiwanese is a compassionate humanism borne of a culture that incorporates many elements. Younger Taiwanese should not forget the roots of identity; let all of those, home and abroad, who love Taiwan, share this in common.
