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Rap Artist Dallas Waldo Released Film Documentary #WaldoLostInTaiwan

Dallas Waldo Released Documentary WaldoLostInTaiwan. Music Press Asia

The mini-doc #WaldoLostInTaiwan stresses the importance of family and identity in Dallas Waldo’s eight year tenure in Taiwan.

Dallas Waldo is a Canadian rap artist who lived and performed in Taiwan for nearly a decade using the Mandarin moniker 阿龍. 

In this heartwarming film, be prepared to go deep into the life of Dallas Waldo, a bilingual rap artist who performed on screens and stages across Asia while based in Taipei.

Waldo knew the land, language and culture like a local. In 2014, he had great success promoting Mandarin hip hop culture after founding the world’s first Mandarin acapella rap battle league in Taipei, Diss RBL (Rap Battle League). And what followed thereafter was a riveting 7-year professional career that had Waldo performing for festival crowds of 10000 people and hosting TV shows in Thailand.

Essentially the godfather of battle rap in Taiwan, along with Diss RBL, Waldo also organised Iron Mic and Underground 8 Mile from China. As a result, Dallas has numerous collaborations with Chinese artists, including the Rap of China champion 艾熱AIR

During the pandemic, Waldo returned to Canada to reunite with his parents after discovering his mother was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer. Despite the pandemic and incessant lockdowns that were rampant in Canada, Waldo left a COVID-free Taiwan to be with his mother and father in these tough times.

Released as part of ‘Dialogue With Asia Series’ by TAIWANfest Toronto in August 2021, the film portrays an audacious interpretation of a rap artist’s creative life in Taiwan. What comes next may just be the beginning of an interesting life propelled from having lived expressively and without contrition. For such amazement, we can’t wait to see more of what lies ahead for Dallas Waldo.   

Click here to watch #WaldoLostInTaiwan.


Times in Taiwan

Dallas is known for his intimacy with the local language and culture in Taiwan. In 2018, he cemented his love for Formosa when he released “台灣是我家 Taiwan Is My Home” (prod. Divyns 狄文斯) with the Turkish entertainment icon 吳鳳. Other fan favourites include “Hold On”, “Love Of My Life” and “Stinky Tofu.” If you’re into EDM, try “Love You No More.” In #WaldoLostInTaiwan, Dallas and his mother have an emotional reaction to a live performance of “Momma.”

Dallas is one of the few Western artists to write and perform original songs in English, Mandarin and the Taiwanese dialect. In August 2019, Radio International Taiwan wrote “In the Taiwan hip hop scene, many local rappers have their own style, but Dallas Waldo is the rapper that is most able to mix elements of East and West to become a truly unique artist.”

As a result of the exposure from hosting Diss RBL, Dallas began appearing regularly on Taiwanese television in 2014. For five years Waldo represented Canada on the hit TV show 二分之一強. He was known for witty humour, high energy, outbursts of freestyling and a striking resemblance to Superman. Waldo’s fluent Mandarin skills coupled with honest reflections eventually elevated him to become a television show host (Busy Connect、愛玩客、食尚玩家、周遊列國、地球的慶典 etc.). Dallas also hosted an official after-video for Creamfields, interviewing numerous Top 100 DJs including Danny Avila, Don Diablo, and Vini Vici. Waldo has worn many hats, but his persona has always been grounded in his roots as a rap artist.

2022: Where’s Waldo now?

After completing a Music Business program at Humber College in 2021, Dallas was hired to be a project manager for an arts organization in British Columbia. Currently, Waldo and the team are working towards an international festival that will celebrate Chinese-language artists in North America.

Dallas has also been busy making new music back in Canada with artists on both sides of the globe. Currently, Waldo has an EP and a few singles in the works. Dallas has also been busy making new music back in Canada with artists on both sides of the globe. After a decade abroad, home seems like a whole new world. Waldo is finding plenty of opportunities to apply himself in the domestic industry and be inspired to make more impactful music.

After a year of lockdowns, Dallas finally booked studio recording time at Jukasa Studios on the Indigenous reserve of Six Nations in February. Singles are expected to drop in spring with the EP coming later in the year. Check out the links below to find Waldo on your favourite platform so you don’t miss a beat.

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