Music of the Soul Formosa Evergreen Senior Citizens Centre Music is a gift from the universe, born of rhythm and melody. The beat of the heart, the rhythm of dance, and the melody of song are the music of life and soul, and their purest forms are percussion and choir music. This group of smiling…
AIKO TOMI – Discovering Me AIKO TOMI AIKO TOMI is known for her memorable songwriting and modern take on 80s synth-pop, featuring the keytar. With a knack for writing catchy hooks, she draws on influences ranging from classical, hip-hop, experimental to J-pop, creating a sound that’s uniquely her own. Her thoughtful lyrics and versatile, emotive…
Tokyo Chuo-Line Tokyo Chuo-Line The dynamic trio of Tokyo Chuo-Line is named after the central rail line running through Tokyo city – a train that the three are intimately familiar with having grown up travelling to various bars, live houses and clubs in the area to play and perform. Following years of collaborating with Taiwanese-Hakka…
Hope Talk: A Canadian Identity Story Terry Watada Terry Watada is a poet, novelist, short story writer, historian, playwright, columnist, essayist and music composer. Terry’s work has been much anthologized, and his newest novel will be available this summer. Set in Vancouver in the 1940’s, The Three Pleasures is the story of three Japanese Canadians…
The Paper Play Hao-Wei Lin Like many arts, Western classical music was introduced to Taiwan during the period of Japanese colonization in Taiwan, with numerous Taiwanese born musicians such as Bunya Koh trained under Japanese masters. With a head start over many other Asian nations, Taiwan has since earned a reputation for developing a high…
Let There Be Light Director Awei Liu “Let There Be Light” is a documentary of true stories reflected and recorded by international volunteers servicing in different countries. The film was shot in India, Nepal, and Thailand, respectively, with a limited production budget, up to three years before shooting to complete. The film is produced by…
Cinematic Taiwan: The Walkers Singing Chen The product of ten years of filming, “The Walkers” documents the life and story of Madam Lin, Founder and Lead Choreographer of Taiwan’s Legend Lin Dance Theatre. As one of Taiwan’s top performing arts troupes and critically acclaimed throughout Europe and Asia alike, Legend Lin is the cultivation of…
The Hakka Under Japan Bo-Lin Chung The Hakka people in Taiwan have a long history, tracing back to the Qing dynasty and their descent from the Han Chinese. During the Japanese colonization of the island, many Hakka communities were greatly influenced by the Japanese lifestyle and culture. Ping Dong is one county where the Japanese…
The Paper Play – Superhero On Paper – A Forgotten Media– Japanese FanMaestro Ken Hsieh & TAIWANfest Orchestra “Creative Origami is nothing more than judicious imitation.” So claims Origami Kaikan, paper craft museum and store in Tokyo, Japan. Paper may have been invented in China, but over generations entire families of Japanese artists and artisans have…
Fashion Snap Takumi Morohashi How aware are you of your surroundings? Takumi Morohashi is the creative mind behind Fashion Snap. Taking photo-bombing to the next level, Morohashi strikes a pose behind the unwitting participant and his co-conspirator photographer ensures he is the focus of the resulting photo. By partnering with photographers in both Japan and…