Taiwanese of different ethnic backgrounds have used their lives and stories to paint a fine and magnificent picture of this island.
This virtual concert is a 45-minute program featuring the people of Taiwan. Hao-en, Nanwan Sisters and Sheng Xiang & Band are invited to link together the three themes of Ocean, Mountain and Land by performing Taiwanese folk songs, as well as aboriginal and Hakka music. They will weave together the sounds of this island and deliver Taiwan's sincere blessings and gratitude. Meanwhile, MoonShine Animation and seasoned creative director Dolce Wang join hands to use deep scanning technology to capture the musicians' gestures and combine them with the music. Tapping into the aesthetics of animation and multimedia technology, and fusing the image of the songs and Taiwan's cultural and natural delights, this music experience that integrates technology and art lets viewers immerse themselves in an audio-visual feast. Everyone is invited to listen to works belonging to this island and catch a glimpse of the diverse and dynamic life of Taiwanese people.
Story Island and Hao-En – Seeing the beautiful Taiwanese people on this beautiful island
Story Island comes from CinCin LEE's musical travelogue around Taiwan. She documents the heartwarming stories and people's rustic hospitality in her journey with music. The shimmering waters of Sun Moon Lake and the prosperous charms in corners of old Taipei all become captivating movements of melodies. By translating the myth of the search for the white dear, the visuals guide viewers from a lake shore to a new oasis of Taiwanese music—the Kaohsiung Music Center. A new music fest is about to begin. With Taiwanese folk songs passed down for generations accompanied by classical instruments, special guest Hao-en's vocals celebrate the beginning of this virtual concert on the cloud.
Nanwan Sisters hailing from the Nanwan tribe of the Puyuma people will be performing songs written by Baliwakes, the father of music in Nanwan tribe. In addition to Jesus Christ, Like in Heaven and Ode to Ancestors that have been sung in the tribe for many years, they will also sing Phlox Flowers written in Japanese by Uyongu Yatauyungana of the Tsou tribe. As their voices echo in the natural scenery of mountains, bamboo forests, and clouds, the visuals of angel's ladder and doves symbolize the light of Jesus. They share not just the beauty of Puyuma music as a token of celebration, but also deliver their blessings to Japan with a Japanese song Phlox Flowers.
Musically, Lin Sheng Xiang uses yueqin as his creative medium to ponder the application of traditional musical instruments in modern performances. From adding strings, setting strings to tuning strings, and experimenting with various acoustic possibilities, he attempts to synthesize a sound that doesn't deviate from the traditional tone despite the changes in modern performance conditions. His music is infused with sincerity and profoundness as a result of this back-and-forth musical thinking. The lyrics also tell the epic story of a community that is "always coming home." The story unfolds with painful scars. As early farming and lifestyle are disrupted and displaced by modernization, industrialization, pollution and globalization, villagers who can't find a way into the big cities must silently watch the disappearance of everything they hold dear in their hometown. Even their own language is taken away from them by the state-imposed "textbooks" and "readings". Yet a new generation of prodigal sons, like the Odyssey, have found their way home. Meanwhile, those who have stayed behind in their homeland have found a voice to protest against the environmental bullying and set out on an nonstop mission to reclaim their language and land. In the visual presentation, the imagery of people traveling far from home to big cities is expressed by a truck on a long journey. The process of returning to hometown to farm then points at the purity of rural life and the love for the language and land.
When everything falls apart, it is the artists' duty to bring beauty back to this broken world. Now, you are invited to enter the virtual concert hall, immerse yourself in this music experience that combines technology and art, listen to works belonging to this island and catch a glimpse of the diverse and dynamic life of Taiwanese people. Wherever you are, we hope you can find an emotion or connection that resonates with you. Let this virtual concert on the cloud be a gift that spreads the music and blessings from Taiwan to every corner of the world.
People of Taiwan Concert Setlist
Story Island & Hao-En
1. Riffles in the Light of Night
2. Da-Daw-Cheng
3. Taiwan Folk Song medley
- Hakka Folk Song: Tien Gung Log Shui
- Yilan Folk Song: Tiu Tiu Tang A
- Bangkah
4. Peinan Mountain
Nanwan Sisters
1. Yezese/Jesus Christ
2. Phlox Flowers
3. Hoyaiyan/ Such as in the Paradise
4. Sling Sling Sling
Sheng Xiang & Band
1. Xiu-zhen's Vegetable Garden
2. Planting Trees
3. Bird Berries (Black Nightshade)
Part of Animated Landscapes 3D Models: TAICCA-Taiwan Digital Asset Library
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