World Music Festival 2021 6th Edition [Taiwan]
- Taipei to host three-day World Music Festival 2021.
- Taiwan music festival goes tribal, expand virtual audience.
- Taipei to host three-day World Music Festival 2021.
- Taiwan music festival goes tribal, expand virtual audience.
Image courtesy of wmftaiwan.com image gallery. Music Press Asia
If you’ve been bottled up by the Covid-19 lockdowns and restriction in movement since March 2020, then you’ll want to get out for some fresh air. Perhaps even a little envious of Taipei city dwellers, we have settled with the fact that we aren’t that lucky this season.
Having had the ultimate freedom to travel all around Southeast Asia, Taiwan would have only been around a five hour flight for us all from anywhere in this region. But because of the pandemic, flights are either halted or strictly administered due to Covid-19, it would have been a risk for many of us to even consider flying out to a neighbour.
But we are not talking about missing a music festival altogether. World Music Festival @ Taiwan isn’t letting the pandemic off that easily. Like many other festivals around the world, it is taking confident, baby steps nonetheless to be the few of the firsts to press on with or without Covid-19.
Today’s festival has a digital lifespan that can potentially expand its culture outreach even further. To reach a wider audience, the festival is collaborating with Small World Music to curate its lectures and discussions, and for the first time, will be made available on-line. Via a networking platform, attendees will get to attend and enjoy the festival’s perks from their very own bed or living room.
A little teaser for its opening show on the first day (29 October), performance will include Jill Stark, Leaf Yeh, Musician’s House, VASA Paiwan Traditional Dancing & Music Troupe, The Youths of the Sea Island, and ‘Beats of Kaohsiung + Hau-Yi, Tsai’ (Translated from Chinese: VASA東排灣傳統樂舞團, BEAT OF KAOHSIUNG+蔡晧怡, 葉穎, 海島青年實驗室, 琴人樂坊)
World Music Festival @ Taiwan 2021 is sponsored by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, an event that is part of the annual Taiwan International Exhibition and Exchange for Unique Music.
Recommendations:
If you have just 45 minutes to spare on the second day (1 November), we’d recommend you to explore a cultural manifestation and fusion of Taiwan and Iran, go for:
The Eastern Concertato by Mastaneh Music Band (Iran and Taiwan), a Taiwanese-Iranian fusion performance that consists of Iranian percussion instrument from the hand-drum family, traditionally used in Sufi and spiritual music.
If you have 45 minutes to spare on 2 November, go for:
Sang Mei-Chuon Seredau [Revival of ancient Paiwan singing]. Seredau is a Paiwan singer from the indigenous community of Cavak in Sandimen Township, Pingtung County. From a young age, she began learning the tribe’s traditional songs from her mother. Her name, chosen by her mother, means “extensive influence” in the Paiwan language.
Watch out for more recommendations from the World Music Festival program next week, here on Music Press Asia. For more information on how to attend the festivals and view its program, click here.
