Introduction That Song Hengchun
Transcript of Introduction That Song Hengchun
1
Introduction
Folk music transcribes daily life of ordinary people and portrays the cultural traditions and natural environment of the land. Among all kinds, the joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness of the locals are shown the most in the folk songs originated from the Hengchun Peninsula of Southern Taiwan. Hengchun folk music has now been acknowledged as one of its intangible cultural heritage of Pingtung County in 2008. However, its lamenting tunes and lyrics fall behind the time and its promotion has hit a wall.
Now, a group of young people work with the traditional artists to change the scene. They set off on the local life in Pingtung County with the element of traditional folk music and invite the local residents to perform in a musical and to sing on streets as special events. They even invite professional musicians of pop music to co-work with traditional artists in order to create fusion songs so the Peninsula folk songs are given new faces and renewed glamour.
"That Song in Hengchun Peninsula" series is composed of three chapters. In chapter one, it starts with basic knowledge about Peninsula folk music and the beauty and sorrow of its century-old history. Next chapter, it tells how a group of professional musicians integrate a number of pop musical elements and how they work with traditional artists to co-create fusion songs with the old tunes. In the last chapter, it begins with real-life stories of grandma singers and how they wrote the script together for the musical while weaving the folk tunes into the show. It also depicts how the three generations, the young, the middle-aged, and the elderly, put makeup on and perform on stage. Lastly, it reveals their thoughts and expectations for the change of the traditional folk music.
That Song
in
Hengchun
Peninsula
1
Time code 00:00
(Music- new version of "Si-xiang-qi")
Time code 00:34
Grandma Ying Chen said,
(Original recording) "Nearly
none wanted to listen to the
song "Si-xiang-qi". When we performed
on the stage, many would leave to use
the restrooms or told us that they had no
interests in it at all."
Time code 00:46
Groaned by Grandma Ying Chen said,
the national treasure.
Time code 00:49
Grandma Ying Chen said,
(Original recording) "The young
today are smart. Back in the old
time, we would only do as told, not as
smart as those today. They know what to
do and where to move on."
Time code 01:03
Today, Hengchun Peninsula folk
music is coming back and a cross-
generations musical revolution is back
on.
Time code 01:09
(Music- new ballad version of "Manzhou-
San-Jing")
Time code 01:24
With a leisurely atmosphere and some
relaxing tunes, here we are in
Hengchun town. An adapted ballad
version of Hengchun Peninsula folk
song "Manzhou-San-Jing" is playing
on stage. Audience let go themselves
and echoed with beats and singalongs.
Their presence creates a young vibe
for the Hear Here Music Festival of this
year.
Time code 01:42
Ms. Huang, a local resident in Hengchun
town said, (Original recording) "The
original Hengchun folk music, before the
new arrangement, was popular only
among the locals. Just now, I saw a
grandma playing with several musical
instruments with modern bands playing
on the side or at the back and that brings
a breath of fresh air to our ears!"
Time code 02:05
A moon guitar and the song "Si-xiang-
qi" created a common stereotype for
traditional folk music to the outer
world. Yet, the arrangement of new
fusion songs began three years ago.
Such a change started with the history
of "Hengchun Peninsula folk music".
Series I -
Coming Back of the Peninsula Folk Songs
2
◾ Sung by Early Immigrants, Formed
One-of-a-Kind
Time code 02:35
The Hengchun Peninsula, surrounded
by the ocean on three sides, sits at the
southernmost area of Taiwan. Long
ago, it was populated by several
indigenous tribes (the natives) of the
Paiwan, the Amis, the Puyuma, and
the Plains. After the "Mudan Incident"
in 1874, the viceroy of Qing Dynasty
declared it as Hengchun county when
the edict of "cultivating mountains
and pacifying the indigenous peoples"
was issued. The name, Hengchun,
means "always in spring" in Chinese.
Many famous towns are now part of
Hengchun County, including
Checheng, Manzhou, and Hengchun
towns. Many immigrated to cultivate
the farmland and the unparalleled
songs of life were accordingly born.
Time code 03:03
Associate Professor Chun-bin
Chen said, (Original recording)
"The idea of the anc ien t
Hengchun County is far from that of the
Hengchun town today. The appearance
of Hengchun folk music, in fact, what we
are talking about, had to do with the
establishment of Hengchun County.
Hengchun folk music is being considered
as songs of ordinary people, such as
workers or farmers in old times. People
who were rich and free, had no favor in
these songs."
Time code 03:32
The hometown-leaving and homesick
immigrants randomly hum the
melodies, which slowly grew into the
Peninsula folk music as we know now.
Associate Professor Chun-bin Chen of
the School of Music at Taipei National
University of Arts explained, the
history and cultural background in
this area has its specialty and the
demographic makeup is complicated,
in addition to indigenous people,
there are groups of Hokkien and
Hakka people. Moreover, the
outbound traffic was inconvenient in
early days and that explains why the
Peninsula folk music remains its
original flavor.
Time code 04:01
Associate Professor Chun-bin
Chen said, (Original recording)
"Historically, many indigenous
people still resided in that place at that
time. The folk tunes, as a result, were
3
probably mixed with their songs and
some local tunes. With all mixed, the folk
music was formed with its special style
that nowhere else could find."
Time code 04:39
According to recent academic surveys,
the six basic melodies of Hengchun
Peninsula folk music include "Si-
xiang-qi", "Niu-mu-ban tune", "Si-ji-
chun", "Feng-gang-xiao-diao", "Wu-
kong-xiao-diao" and this one "Pingpu
tune".
Time code 04:56
(Music- traditional version of "Pingpu
tune")
Time code 05:16
Associate Professor Chun-bin
Chen said, (Original recording)
"The Pingpu tune is commonly
associated with indigenous people's
tunes. As we see, most people singing
the Pingpu tune live in Manzhou town.
The tune, composition wise, repeats the
melody of two lines throughout the
song."
◾ Famous Taiwanese Songs: Adapted
From Peninsula Folk Music
Time code 05:39
The song "Pingpu tune" was sung by
Mr. Ding-shun Zhu, the national
treasure of folk music. It is also called
the "Hengchun tune" or the "Taitung
tune". According to legends, this song
used to be sung by indigenous people
in the first place. Numerous famous
Taiwanese folk songs, such as the
"Farmers' Song", collected in the
textbook of elementary schools,
"Oyster Seller's Wife" and "Three
Times of Groans", are the products of
adaptation of this old tune.
Time code 05:58
Besides, the "Niu-mu-ban tune", used
to be called "the Singing melody" by
the elderly, is now being surmised as
the earliest tune of the Hengchun folk
songs. In the beginning, people sang it
when parents passed away or when
singers wanted to release their inner
laments and dispiritedness. Later on, it
became a song brides sang to bid
tearful farewell to families on the eve
of her wedding day. Singers sing
gently with long breaths and rich
feelings, showing various emotions of
their hearts.
Time code 06:22
(Music- traditional version of "Niu-mu-
ban tune")
Time code 06:45
Grandma Ying Chen, the 88-years-old
national treasure, who just won
official recognition by the Ministry of
Culture of Taiwan government
recalled, in early days, the living
4
conditions on the Peninsula were
quite poor and the atmosphere of
society was conservative. Women did
not have rights to decide for their own
marriages. The "Niu-mu-ban tune"
revealed not only the unspoken
groans in their hearts, but also made
the ladies burst into tears with a rush
of bitterness during singing.
Time code 07:06
Grandma Ying Chen recalled,
(Original recording) "Parents
called the shots. Fathers and
mothers made decisions for our marriage.
It was not like now you choose who you
like the most. Whether daughters liked it
or not, a decision was a decision and that
was why girls sang the "Niu-mu-ban
tune" to lament for themselves. Life was
not easy in old times."
Time code 07:25
(Music- traditional version of "Shou-niu
tune")
◾ Tunes of Peninsula Folk Music
Varied Greatly; Sung in Ever-Changing
Ways
Time code 07:53
In addition to the lamenting "Niu-mu-
ban tune", the "Shou-niu tune", which
was popular only in the Manzhou area,
belongs to the new tunes of modern
time. Legend has it that the tune was
hummed by farmers when they were
driving the cows to graze. Ms. Zhen-
ying Zhao, the general director of
Hengchun folk music promotion
association, told us, there are six
classical tunes and one new tune of
the Peninsula folk music. The melodies
vary from one to another, yet, they
either depict scenery or inner feelings
of singers and were chosen under
different circumstances.
Time code 08:20
Ms. Zhen-ying Zhao said,
(Original recording) "With the
same lyric, it can by all means
be applied with six basic tunes to show
different emotions. Let's say if you want
to give a reminder or to make a note on
something, you might choose "Wu-
kong-xiao-diao", "Feng-gang-xiao-diao",
or "Pingpu tune". With grandma singers,
for instance, they tended to choose "Si-
xiang-qi" when they wanted to introduce
Hengchun Old Town or when they were
talking about something. The choice is
habitual."
5
Time code 08:51
In fact, today, the commonly known
"Hengchun folk music" refers to music
all areas of the Peninsula, including
Hengchun, Manzhou, and Checheng
towns. Though the basic tunes
adopted in each area sound similar,
their ways of singing are different
from each other. Based on the singers'
feelings at the moment, the tunes may
be altered with vocal riffs and runs
according to the accents of the
language terms or the length of beats
may be elongated limitlessly. The
alternations of tunes adjustment are
ever-changing.
Time code 09:17
(Music- "Si-xiang-qi tune" sung by
Grandma Ying Chen from Hengchun
town)
Time code 09:24
Let's take the "Si-xiang-qi tune" sung
by Grandma Ying Chen from
Hengchun town as an example. Her
singing of the first three words of the
song is diverse to that sung by
Grandma Ri-gui Zhang from Manzhou
town.
Time code 09:38
(Music- "Si-xiang-qi tune" sung by
Grandma Ri-gui Zhang from Manzhou
town)
Time code 09:43
Associate Professor Chun-bin
Chen said, (Original recording)
"We say that tunes are fixed. It
is not to say single one melody applies to
all lyrics. You can tell that every vocalist
has their way of singing and is not
identical with one another. We see a
similar shared structure if we analyze
their singing methods."
◾ Folk Music Is Life Itself; Lyrics Reveal
the Mundanity of Daily Life and
Emotions
Time code 10:06
Peninsula folk music originated from
its land. Most singers of that time
barely read musical charts. The songs
were passed down by word of mouth.
Grandma Ying Chen said, folk music is
daily life itself. The lyrics transcribe
daily life and emotions. Some were
sung alone, some in duet or choir.
Most songs were independent
6
creations by the vocalists with seven
Chinese characters per line and four
lines per song, which is now
commonly known as the "Qi-zi-zai-si-
ju-lian" (literal meaning: seven
Chinese characters per line and four
lines per song).
Time code 10:28
Grandma Ying Chen mentioned,
(Original recording) "My
singing comes from my own
creations with what comes to my mind.
Like I thought of Hengchun town and we
work here so I sang songs about these
and wrote lyrics about what this place
has to make "Si-ju-lian" (literal meaning:
four lines per song)."
Time code 10:50
Associate Professor Chun-bin
Chen said, (Original recording)
"Vocalists start their signings
with a rhythm and you can tell the songs
continue with a certain fixed format.
Adopting that format, vocalists add on
lyrics generated from their thoughts and
go with the flow of the music."
Time code 11:09
(Music- traditional version of "Si-xiang-qi
tune" sung by busking artist Mr. Da Chen)
Time code 11:15
Hengchun folk music is an iconic
symbol of Taiwanese culture and has
been regarded as one of the free spirit
origins for the local independent
music. Surprisingly, the music was, at
a time, almost entirely forgotten
because of the sad melodies and
outdated lyrics. It was so until the year
of 1967 when Mr. Chang-hui Hsu and
Mr. Wei-liang Shi, two local musicians,
began to start up "The Folk Song
Collecting Movement". They found Mr.
Da Chen, a 62-years-old busking artist,
and the world began to pay attention
to Peninsula folk music again.
Time code 11:43
Grandma Ying Chen said,
(Original recording) "Mr. Da
Chen was the only busker still
performing. (There was only him?) Yup,
he was the only one still performing on
streets at the time. People would tip him
for his performance. There was no one
else."
Time code 11:57
(Music- traditional version of "Si-xiang-qi
tune" sung by busking artist Mr. Da Chen)
7
◾ Moon Guitar With Folk Music
Became an Iconic Image to All Only for
Last 20 Years
Time code 12:06
What you hear now is the "Si-xiang-qi
tune", played and sung by Mr. Da
Chen. His bass-like voice persuades us
how people should work diligently.
The image of him playing the moon
guitar became iconic to the Peninsula
folk music. In fact, in early days, most
songs were hum without music. Only
in the last 20 years have the songs
been played with music.
Time code 12:27
Associate Professor Chun-bin
Chen said, (Original recording)
"Ratio wise, People in
Checheng Town tend to sing with music,
those in Manzhou Town sing without,
while those in Hengchun Town seem in
the middle. Mr. Da Cheng has a strong
influence on our perspectives. Scholars
like us paid visits and asked them
questions like, "Have you heard of Mr. Da
Chen?" And he was the focus of the
conversation. In light of this, local
residents started to realize that these
outsiders came to do recording similar to
Da Chen's singing and they began
emulating his style."
Time code 13:07
Tunes originating from Hengchun
Peninsula slowly drew attention of the
outer world thanks to the short stay of
scholars and the promotion of
homeland education by the local
government. The Pingtung County
Government has begun to hold the
annual "Hear Here Music Festival"
from the year of 2008, inviting groups
of musical artists to perform on stage
or to compete with one another.
Among all, the "Thousands singing
relay with moon guitar" event even
made it to the Guinness World History
and it has become a major cultural
event since then, according to Mr.
Ming-Jung Wu, the Director of the
Cultural Affairs Department.
Time code 13:35
Mr. Ming-Jung Wu said,
(Original recording) "Public or
private sectors of different
fields, like schools, communities,
universities, and folk music association,
started to take part in these events. It was
like this in the beginning, after a few
years, you realize that everyone thinks
that's the way it is."
8
◾ Coming Back of Peninsula Folk
Music; Inspired by the Local Youth
Time code 13:55
The "Hear Here Music Festival" was
held for a decade and it seemed to lack
creativity. The County Government
decided to make a grandiose
transformation for the event in 2018,
attempting to start out again with
innovative style. The government
picked a group of local youth as the
trigger.
Time code 14:12
Mr. Ming-Jung Wu said,
(Original Recording) "At that
time, it struck me and
something peculiar stood out to me.
Many young people relocated to
Hengchun or Kenting had something
special in common. They showed respect
to culture acknowledgement to a certain
degree. It also struck me that they
showed great willingness to build their
foundation in the area and they were in
favor of the traditional culture. Many of
them were professional musicians or
artists. I found it intriguing."
Time code 14:35
This group of youth comes from all
parts of Taiwan, some have lived here
for generations, some came to start up
their own businesses for years.
Because of Hengchun homeland,
musicians are connected with artists.
Now, what kind of chemistry will they
bring in when the youth meets
historical folk music? In the evening,
the garbage truck music played by
moon guitar made it specifically
unusual.
Time code 15:04
(Live recording from street in Hengchun
town) "Folks and villagers, here comes
the garbage truck. May peace be with
you. I am Meng-an Pan, the Magistrate
of Pingtung County. Katabatic wind is
coming. The "2020 Hear Here Music
Festival" is going to be…."
9
Time code 15:17
Mr. Yan-jie Zhang, the producer of the
"Hear Here Music Festival", comes
from Taoyuan, northern Taiwan, and
relocated to Hengchun for his lover
for years. Talking about his planning
for the festival, Zhang took the first
step to tap into the daily life of local
people and emphasized on the
connection between "folk music" and
"local life." It's easy to draw a contrast
between "being innovative" and
"being traditional", however, what
came first was to be questioned by the
elderly.
Time code 15:38
Mr. Yan-jie Zhang said,
(Original recording) "We had
to keep a balance between
being traditional and being creative. We
strove to make creations while keeping
the traditional untouched. So we visited
the elderly ladies one by one, getting to
know how they brought up children, how
their family disapproved of their singing
of folk music, or how they were beaten.
Right, some elderly women were beaten
when they were singing. Not until we
unveiled their stories could we feel
confident to work on the transformation
for the "Hear Here Music Festival" and
how we could earn respect from local
residents."
◾ Production Team Entered the
Residence to Discover the Local
Stories
Time code 16:07
Being questioned by the local
residents, Mr. Yan-Jie Zhang and his
production team spent almost a year
building connections with the
communities, chatting with grandmas,
and listening to their stories of folk
music. Besides, they invited
professional musicians from both
Taiwan and all over the world to
perform for the festival and they also
asked the local residents to play in the
musical. They even successfully
arranged the local elderly to perform
on streets. All these efforts were made
to present the assorted sides of
Peninsula folk music on the premises
of "not losing the traditions".
Time code 16:33
(Live recording from street in Hengchun
t ow n ) " S i - x i an g- q i . . . L a d i e s a n d
gentlemen, my greetings to you…"
10
Time code 16:49
Mr. Yan-jie Zhang said,
(Original recording) "It is
anything but easy. Grandma
singers are ordinary people. They barely
have performed on the stage ever. I have
deep gratitude to the people of the folk
music associations, located in Manzhou
and Hengchun. It's almost like coaxing,
they told the grandma singers
something like, "Oh, don't worry. You
sing on the stage and everybody loves
your singing" or "You're such a diva!".
That's when the elderly ladies began to
go on stage."
Time code 17:12
Zhang's team, moreover, invited
musicians from South America and
Japan to enter the community by
living with the grandma singers for a
month. They adopted traditional folk
songs as musical elements to co-
create new songs. Besides
transforming the folk music with
unique style and expressions, they
also wanted to draw the youth closer.
Time code 17:31
Mr. Yan-jie Zhang said,
(Original recording) "Young
people will not sing Peninsula
folk songs if they have no knowledge
about the stories behind, which will
create a gap in the local culture. We
brought in young musicians to stay in the
towns and asked them to compose new
songs based on the classical tunes. Here
comes the new fusion songs. Listeners
may re-learn about the classical tunes via
the new fusion songs and surely they will
fall in love with folk music."
11
Time code 17:51
(Live performance- new fusion song from
"Hear Here Music Festival")
Time code 18:13
Mr. Yan-jie Zhang said,
(Original recording) "On this
Peninsula, there is a long
history of ethnic integration: Hokkienese,
Hakkanese, Puyuma, and Paiwan
indigenous tribes. That was the origin of
the Hengchun folk music. In a sense, it
doesn't matter if you understand what
I'm singing about. As long as you like the
music, you'd want to know the stories
behind. I believe that's the point of the
whole thing."
◾ Traditional Folk Music With a New
Face; Local Residents Feel the Most
Time code 18:29
Let's hear what the locals say about
the new transformation of folk music.
Time code 18:34
Ms. Zhen-yi Wu, a local resident, said,
(Original recording) "We would go and
listen, to listen to their singing. That kind
of music is attractive to us. If you listen to
the traditional folk music, let me be
honest, I probably stand for an hour, and
leave after shopping. It was like that only
a few years ago. But now, they are trying
hard to collaborate with grandma singers.
Wow! That's really cool."
Time code 18:50
Ms. Huang, another local resident told us,
(Original recording) "I saw many non-
resident young men watching grandma's
singing performance with undivided
attention. I thought it's an important
matter for Taiwanese to learn to cherish
this cultural heritage of Hengchun Town.
In support of this, I come to the festival
every year. Hahaha."
Time code 19:19
The elderly ladies like Xian-nu, who
sells betel nuts for living, Que-yin,
who sells tea drinks on the streets, or
Dong-niang, who sells meals of
braised pork rice, turn into buskers on
the night of festival. They sing folk
songs and stories of their lives. Such
fruitful results arouse strong feelings
in their hearts.
Time code 19:35
Grandma Yang-yue Wang said,
(Original recording) "Let's say,
if we play the traditional tunes,
most of the audience would have left
before we reached half of the songs. So
to me, I think this is good, a definite
plus."
12
Time code 19:49
Grandma Qiu-yue Lin said,
(Original recording) "In the past,
most people only were familiar
with "Si-xiang-qi tune" and considered it
a kind of lamenting and dispirited music.
So now the young people from outside
of Hengchun have arrived and they help
us to enhance the traditional folk music.
Personally, I like it a lot and I'm fully
supporting this idea. I can't wait to see
the new development of Hengchun folk
songs."
Time code 20:12
(Live performance- new fusion song from
"Hear Here Music Festival")
Time code 20:31
Originated from its land and its people,
the Peninsula folk music has a
century-old history. Grandma's
singing and moon guitar playing not
only presented the music to the world
but also started off a musical
revolution.
13
Series II –
Your Old Tune, My New Tune
Time code 00:00
(Live performance from the "Hear Here
Music Festival")
Time code 00:29
Grandma Qiu-yue Lin said,
(Original recording) "I don't
know about others. I do think
that I am growing younger. Haha."
Time code 00:35
Grandma Qiu-yue Lin said,
(Original recording) "Some
people comment that the new
tune sounds out of tune or tasteless. Well,
how do you define the taste of tunes?
New elements like atmosphere and vibes
kick in but the old ones are still there. I
see no conflict at all."
Time code 00:51
Pop music versus folk songs, modern
guitar with six strings versus moon
guitar with two strings, here we see
the beginning of a musical revolution
between the old and new generations.
Time code 01:13
On this day, some music flows from
Ximen Square into Hengchun Town.
It's part of the performance from the
"Hear Here Music Festival". The beats
of the song "Raining" are rock 'n roll
style. Its intense music playing draws
the audience headbanging and
shouting out loud with the music. In
less than a moment, the music style
altered suddenly.
Time code 01:32
(Live performance from the "Hear Here
Music Festival")
Time code 02:02
The tune of "Si-xiang-qi" was playing
on, yet mingled smartly with moon
guitar and rock 'n roll beats. Modern
musicians coming from several places
have been invited to take part in the
annual musical experiment of "Old
tunes with new melodies". Based on
the old tunes of folk songs, the
musicians work with local artists to co-
create a new song. Where did the idea
come from? It started with Summer
Hsu, the main vocalist performing on
stage.
14
◾ In Love With Its Simplicity and
Honesty of Hengchun People, Hsu
Found a Cultural Gap Between The
Older and The Younger Generations.
Time code 02:40
Summer Hsu used to be the main
vocalist of a mandarin pop band, Fun
'n Play. She came to Hengchen to
work on an ending song of a
Taiwanese movie, Cape No. 7. She
came for the sake of scenery and
sightseeing. Never could she imagine
herself falling in love with the honest,
simple, and warmhearted people. She
moved southward in 2012. Unplanned,
she entered local schools and realized
that there is a gap in the traditional
folk music history.
Time code 03:04
Summer Hsu said, (Original
recording) "I found that all
artists were elderly and what
they were good at were considered local
and traditional. They went to schools to
communicate with the kids. To the kids
now, to have them sit still and listen to
traditional folk songs, well, not to the
kids, it would be dull and boring even to
adults like us. The kids can't relate to the
songs because they have never
experienced the same living environment
as the elderly. So I realize this might be a
difficulty, at that moment."
Time code 03:26
The tunes of Peninsula folk music
sound sad and depressing and the
lyrics have nothing to do with our life
today. With such doubts in mind,
Summer took turns to take part in folk
music events. It was until she was
invited to take the post of Music
Director for the Hear Here Music
Festival. She started to study the
history of Peninsula folk music.
Unexpectedly, she found a new world
in spite of working as a professional
musician for many years.
Time code 03:48
Summer Hsu told us, (Original
recording) "I only knew Mr. Da
Chen at that time and had no
knowledge of anyone else. So I said to
myself, alright, let me start my research
with him. I opened my browser and
searched him on Youtube. Wow, he's
pretty cool. His performance touched my
heart. I never paid close attention to his
songs but his lyrics described the ups
and downs of his emotions. His lyrics
even spoke up for human rights of his
generation and also depicted the
inequality of people's life of that time. His
creation was, I would say, the blues of
Taiwan. He is Jimi Hendrix to me."
15
◾ "Old Tunes With New Melodies"
Experiment: Interweaving the New
and Old Generations
Time code 04:18
Since then, Summer not only took
heart in doing research on the
Peninsula folk music, but also
apprenticed to Grandma Ri-gui Zhang,
the national treasure from Manzhou
town. She became a folk music learner.
Meanwhile, the gap problem she had
found a while ago came to her heart
again. Suddenly, she coined with the
idea of "Old tunes with new melodies"
experiment, attempting to interweave
the old and new generations with new
fusion music.
Time code 04:38
Summer Hsu said, (Original
recording) "It suddenly struck
me that I could use it to apply
for the Hear Here Music Festival. I have
the youth as resources, whether bands or
something else, and I believe that they
know how to play music, pop music. I bet
they'll be interested in this experiment.
So I reached out and asked them to co-
create new songs with folk music tunes."
Time code 05:06
Yet, adapting the traditional folk
music for co-creation is more than just
words. Century-old folk music versus
new tunes, the youth versus the
elderly artists, they cooperate to
create fusion music. It's not only
redefined the line between traditions
and innovations, but it also aroused
doubts in the hearts of grandma
singers. Zhen-ying Zhao, the Director
in General of the Association of Si-
xiang-qi folk songs promotion
association in Hengchun told us.
Time code 05:28
Zhen-ying Zhao said, (Original
recording) "I think that
grandmas, in the very
beginning, were reluctant. They weren't
clear about the idea behind. To them,
singing is singing. They didn't
understand what was going on."
Time code 05:39
Summer Hsu said, (Original
recording) "There were many
difficulties along the way.
Some folk music groups felt they were
being deprived of their own composition.
16
Luckily, these old ladies had trust in us.
We took a bold step to invite musicians,
who make rock 'n roll music, and the
famous bassist, who comes from Hong
Kong and he signed up for the festival on
his own. Grandmas also showed kindness
to help them work on this co-creation."
◾ Local and Foreign Musicians
Cooperate to Look For Creation
Element From Folk Music
Time code 06:08
The production team, in addition to
inviting local bands, honorably had Mr.
Sanpuy Katatepan Mavaliyw, the
winner of the Golden Melody Awards
for the Aboriginal Singer, and Ms.
Yukihiro Atsumi from Japan to stay in
the towns for co-creation. What's
more, the Hong Kong "Movement"
music band, upon knowing this event,
voluntarily signed up for the
performance and flew to Taiwan for
the show. Tony Wang, the main vocal
singer of the local "Monkey Pilot"
music band, who grew up with
western music around, tried his best to
look for new elements from the folk
music and cooperated with grandma
singers to co-create songs.
Time code 06:35
Tony Wang said, (Original
recording) "Their tunes are the
old tunes but not the lyrics.
They sing what they see with the old
tunes. It's improvising. To be honest, I'm
learning myself and I'm trying my best.
I'm looking for ways to blend the folk
music of grandmas with something
modern."
Time code 07:02
Musicians from all over the world tried
playing guitar or African Djembe
along with the moon guitar to induce
the hidden magical power of folk
music. They also tried to let grandmas
sing without moon guitar or without
music. They tried hard to find ways to
play the music in their most
comfortable style while give the most
brilliant performance together.
Time code 07:20
Summer Hsu said, (Original
recording) "I didn't tell the
grandmas but I told the young
musicians that this is a pure musical
experiment. There were a few
requirements to meet, for instance, firstly,
they must keep the original melody
untouched. Our composition is to be
changed. That was the first requirement.
Secondly, pop music is precise on beats
and notes, but this is unlike that."
17
◾ New and Old Generations Work as a
Team and Challenge on Another With
Run-ins
Time code 07:44
"(Live recording) Grandma: How is it?
(Youth: "Think of the time when I was
young", is that so? Do it again, do it
again…)
Time code 07:53
The challenge to ask professional
musicians to go under traditional folk
music is way beyond the range of
music. It also included several run-ins
among diversified generations.
"ShyHeyyy" is a local pop music band,
who is taking part in the experiment.
The member of three are in their early
twenties. Ya-ru Yang said, "We were
given a big lesson when we set off to
work with the elderly".
Time code 08:16
Yang shared, (Original
recording) "I thought to myself,
I should chat with grandma
about the song more. So I asked her,
"Grandma, can you tell us something
when you fell in love with your lover?"
Out of my imagination, I thought the
chemistry between them must be strong,
like the romantic lyrics of the song "Four
Seasons Red." Then the grandma replied,
"Nothing to tell. I've never fell in love. I
ran away from the arranged marriage
three times." I felt embarrassed on the
spot and heart-wrenched afterwards for
a long time."
Time code 08:37
Xin-ping Yu, another member
of the music band "ShyHeyyy"
told us, (Original recording) "In
the old times, girls didn't have freedom
to pick for their own marriage. Yet, we're
trying to sing the song with our
perspectives that it's a love affair or some
18
romantic story. We even attempt to have
the grandmas acknowledge us. I feel I
need to handle this issue more carefully."
Time code 08:53
Yu was born locally and grew up in the
city area. He moved to Hengchun
town eight years ago. He confessed
that the folk music was totally strange
to him, and he never had any interests
in it. It was until he began working for
the community services and got to
know the grandma singers, did he
acquire some knowledge about folk
music.
Time code 09:12
Yu kept saying, (Original
recording) "To me, open to folk
music was purely a matter of
personal interaction. I had no idea what
they were singing but when I get along
with the grandmas. Through them, I got
to know folk music."
Time code 09:30
(Live recording) Grandma: "Think of the
time when we were young" that's right.
(Youth: It's good. It's good. "Think of the
time when we were young" is nice. Right,
it's quite good)."
◾ Folk Music Playing Freely; Hard for
the Youth to Adapt
Time code 09:42
Groups of two generations kept each
other's company and became familiar
with each other. They also found a
balance point to get along. As time
went by, the youth began
acknowledging that folk music is
anything but a simple matter.
Ms. Fan Zhuang, the keyboard player,
was born in Hengchun town and
graduated from the Applied Music
Department of the Tainan National
University of the Arts (TNUA).
According to Zhuang, taking part in
the experiment was a big challenge to
her from the beginning. She acquired
no previous knowledge of folk music
and only received formal training of
western classical music.
Time code 10:11
Zhuang told us, (Original
recording) "Hengchun folk
music is not similar to western
music: for instance, there is no bar line in
folk songs. They can add two more
seconds or two more beats during
performance without notice to the band
in advance. I thought to myself, "How on
earth can I play music for them?"
Normally, we change chords every four
beats in a song. But how would I know
when to change chords for them?"
19
Time code 10:36
Zhuang kept saying, (Original
recording) "We tried our best
to keep the original unchanged.
With one subtle change to the song,
grandma singer might feel offended all
of a sudden. They have sung these songs
like this for decades. They'd feel unhappy
if there was someone who popped out
and commanded them "to move onto
the next line".
Time code 10:55
Peninsula folk music is signified with
its free singing style. It is common that
the young and old generations think
in separate ways and play their own
tunes. Yet, they never ceased to
discuss and to find the best
expressions for the music. With
repeated discussions and practices,
they seemed to find a common
ground working together as a team,
said by Grandma Zhang from
Manzhou town.
Time code 11:14
Grandma Zhang said, (Original
recording) "Right, they told us
how to sing and play the music.
They'd leave us alone to play while they
went on their own to test the chords.
After that, we'd play the music
altogether."
Time code 11:25
(Live recording) Youth: "Ah! I forgot to
count down for you…(Grandma: Without
countdown, I don't know how to play it.)
Youth: Hahaha, without five, six, seven,
eight, you can't sing and play the music."
Time code 11:34
Zhuang said, (Original
recording) "My band learned to
play the chords along when
grandma opened their mouth or when
she began to play moon guitar. However,
it's different every time so we got to be
quick at responding on the spot."
20
◾ Finding Common Ground for Two
Generations; Adapted Folk Music Full
Of Creativity
Time code 11:47
In spite of going through the two-
generation run-ins, the young ones,
after chatting with grandma singers
about music and life, recognized that
traditional and modern music have
something in common. Members of
music bands created their own
melodies and lyrics and mixed with
"Shou-niu-diao tune". They not only
created new tunes that sounded
familiar to ears of the new generation
but also conveyed grandma's longing
for seeing children afar.
Time code 12:12
(Music- new fusion version of "Shou-niu-
diao tune")
Time code 12:42
Yu said, (Original recording)
"The problem of population
emigration is severe in
Hengchun Peninsula. I thought to myself,
I am also a traveler of the land and I left
to work for some time. This song seemed
to convey the feelings of the families as
well as the travelers when they were
away."
Time code 13:15
Grandma Zhang said, (Original
recording) "Not bad. It sounds
like music to me. It was hard to
accept in the beginning. We'd think,
"Wait, how is it so?" Now, it's becoming
a good song to me. It is nice."
Time code 13:23
(Music- new fusion version of "Shou-niu-
diao tune")
◾ With the Presence of Professionals,
the Promotion of Folk Music Is More
Efficient
Time code 14:22
In fact, in addition to the local music
band, this song "Listen to Grandma's
singing" was co-created by grandmas
and a Hong Kong "Movement" music
band, who lived in the town for a
month. They mixed the traditional
folk song with their tune and the new
song was also collected in their official
album.
Time code 14:38
(Music- "Listen to Grandma's singing" by
Hong Kong "Movement" music band &
grandmas)
Time code 15:11
Summer Hsu said that the promotion
of folk music would be more efficient
with the strength of professional
musicians.
21
Time code 15:18
Summer Hsu said, (Original
recording) "If you tell the
young kids to "sit and play as
told", it will only create fear in their hearts.
Well, if you get a hottest singer, let's
say…"9m88", and choose one song
composed of folk music and classical
tunes in her album, wouldn't it become a
hit? Of course it would."
Time code 15:37
(Music- "A Long Song" by Mr. Sanpuy
Katatepan Mavaliyw & grandmas)
Time code 16:16
This song, "A Long Song" is composed
of an old melody of the Puyuma
aboriginal tribe mixed with the
classical tune of "Niu-mu-ban tune." It
is a co-creation of Mr. Sanpuy
Katatepan Mavaliyw, the winner of the
Golden Melody Awards for the
Aboriginal Singer, and grandma
singers from Hengchun. This song was
collected in his latest album and was
also performed live at the "Hear Here
Music Festival." It is a song
reminiscent of the homeland. With
music, you are connected to the world
in just a second.
Time code 16:39
Summer Hsu said, (Original
recording) "We plan to present
Hengchun Peninsula to carry
symbolic meaning as a place for the
development of world music. Most
people heard about Kenting of
Hengchun Peninsula because of the
Spring Scream Music Festival. The fame
put Kenting as a hotspot for musical
development in Taiwan. But in my
opinion, Hengchun has more than this.
Paiwan aboriginal people, a few
Hakkanese, and newly immigrants now
are the makeup of the local population
and they stand for the idea of world
music."
Time code 17:25
Let's hear what the locals say about
the new transformation of traditional
folk music.
Time code 17:29
Ms. Huang, a local resident from
Hengchun, told us, (Original recording)
"We invite a number of music bands,
they make their creation remix of folk
music so more people become
acquainted with the music. Right, so they
can shake off the stereotype that these
songs are liveless and out of fashion."
Time code 17:42
Ms. Wu, a Hengchun local, said, (Original
recording) "I think it's quite cool. Young
people adopt the thing and turn them
into a new type of music. It's decent. I
started to get acquainted with traditional
folk music thanks to them."
22
Time code 17:53
(Live performance from the "Hear Here
Music Festival")
Time code 18:17
A night in Hengchun town. People on
stage and off stage sing a new song as
well as an old song together. This
musical experiment of the new and
old generations brought innovations
to the traditions, and also allowed the
youth to get close to the elderly. Their
distance is apparently shortened.
Time code 18:32
Ms. Fan Zhuang, a member of
"ShyHeyyy" said, (Original
recording) "It is the third year
I'm participating in this festival. In fact,
from the first year, I work with grandma
singers every year and watch them
performing on stage. I felt truly touched
deep in heart and their performance
brought tears to my eyes. I admit that I
truly get to understand Hengchun folk
music."
Time code 18:47
Grandma Lin said, (Original
recording) "You expect people
to fully accept your music then
you will have more chances to promote
it and so are the chances to pass down
the music to the coming generation. Isn't
it clear that the way to achieve this is
through the influence of these young
people now? Haha."
Time code 19:00
The newly-coined melody by old and
new generations is now being heard
everywhere in Hengchun town.
Peninsula folk songs depict the beauty
of its scenery, and tell stories of the
local residents. Meanwhile, it also
records a win-win co-creation story
between the old and the new
generations.
23
Series III –
Grandmas Sing for You
Time code 00:00
(Live performance from the musical "The
Chants of Motherland Sagas")
Time code 00:24
Grandma Ying Chen said,
(Original recording) "In the past,
parents of two families made a
deal to arrange their children's marriage,
so would it be done. They didn't care
about the daughter's inclination."
Time code 00:34
A Marriage without romantic love
relationship. This is the true story of
how most grandmas got married on
this Peninsula.
Time code 00:41
Grandma Jin-qin Li-xie said,
(Original recording) "Ladies
only had bad luck on this
matter in old times. We sing about our
sadness and it's natural to burst into
tears. There is no way to stop it."
Time code 00:48
Now, grandmas with such a life
experience play the strings of moon
guitar and sing with passion about
their life stories on stage. They also
express all kinds of emotions
embedded in their life.
◾ With the Sound of Moon Guitar,
Days' of Grandma San-Mei Zhang
Turns Colorful
Time code 01:11
On the day, we hear the sound of
moon guitar playing in the
communities of Manzhou Town. 73-
years-old Grandma San-mei Zhang
skillfully plays the moon guitar with
undivided attention. It is hard to
believe that she began learning it for
merely 13 years. Yet, the sound of
moon guitar hides her story that was
unspoken to strangers.
24
Time code 01:43
At 18, she reluctantly got married at
her mother's command. She felt
unfairly treated and had tried to run
away several times. At the end, she
had to take it and made her
compromise.
Time code 01:54
Grandma Zhang said, (Original
recording) "I had run away
several times before the
wedding day and I failed them all. People
in the past had no place to go when you
ran away. I washed clothes for customers
and cooked in restaurants to make a
living for myself. But bosses didn't
provide housing because I was not
recommended by acquaintance. What
can you do then? I got caught and was
sent back home."
Time code 02:06
Grandma Zhang sounded peaceful
when telling us the story but her eyes
still showed some reluctance. A sense
of unwillingness substituted for the
delightful happiness a bride was
supposed to have.
Time code 02:18
Grandma Zhang said, (Original
recording) "My mother-in-law
took in a fish stand right after
the wedding. I had to bike to sell fish
since I was 18. I was still like a child but
was asked to do house chores
unceasingly, like remodeling thatched
cottages for the family, feeding pigs,
picking vegetables, or woods. Chores of
all kinds, not to mention, I had to take
care of children at the same time."
Time code 02:38
Prioritizing family's issues before hers,
serving husband unconditionally,
from the day adopting her husband's
surname, Grandma Zhang could never
follow her inclinations in daily life in
spite of the fact that she grew up with
great care and love of her siblings.
When she was about to turn 60, she
unexpectedly heard the sound of
moon guitar. Her dull and tasteless
days became tasteful.
Time code 02:57
Grandma Zhang said, (Original
recording) "One day I came
back from a fish-selling routine
and went to the stationery store to do
some shopping. I heard that Ms. A-gui
was playing the moon guitar and I was
fascinated by that. The beautiful music
touched my heart so much that I didn't
want to go home. At that time, moon
guitar was seldom available for sale and
luckily I got an old one and somewhat a
broken one. However, I felt so delighted.
I knew nothing about the notes and
scales so I asked around and those who
knew well were happy to teach me how
to play it."
25
◾ Folk Music Playing Is No Spy Game;
Instead, It Is to Break the Chains
Time code 03:34
Grandma Yang-yue Wang, the owner
of the stationery store, who lives
across the streets of Grandma Zhang
and was about the same age as her,
got a second-hand moon guitar for
her. They began singing the folk songs
together as company. They sang the
songs but also expressed their anguish
and sadness in hearts. She
remembered that Grandma Zhang's
husband became quite irritated when
she started playing the moon guitar.
Time code 03:53
Grandma Wang said, (Original
recording) "When Zhang went
to practice the moon guitar, I
had to watch out for her. Her husband
would become enraged if he didn't see
her when he came home. So when her
husband went to handle the fish business,
I had to yell to signal her when I saw his
car driving toward the house. She'd hide
her moon guitar at my place and run
home quickly."
Time code 04:12
Grandma Zhang said, (Original
recording) "My husband was
quite controlling. He didn't
have a liking for singing and he didn't
allow me to enjoy it either. He never liked
singing. He just never liked listening to
it."
Time code 04:29
Moon guitar playing has become the
new soul of Grandma Zhang and it
also brought the courage she needed
for life. Personally, "playing moon
guitar and singing folk songs" is no
spy game but to break the chains
embedded with traditions.
Time code 04:43
Grandma Zhang told us,
(Original recording) "One day
my husband refused to open
the door for me to enter the house. (He
didn't want to open it for you?) Right,
right. I went around the house to take the
narrow road leading to the backdoor of
my house. I kicked the door open
standing tall and still and we began a real
fighting with each other. After that, he
26
never locked the door again. He would
leave the door unlocked every time I
went out."
Time code 05:02
Now, Grandma Zhang's husband has
passed away for years. All of their
children got married and left home to
make a living on their own. Grandma
Zhang, living alone now, remembers
all the details in the past with the
bittersweet moments in heart. It never
struck her that her life stories would
someday be adopted and be
performed on stage.
◾ A Musical Based on the Real Story of
Peninsula Grandmas
Time code 05:18
(Live recording from the musical "The
Chants of Motherland Sagas") "My mom
got me married at 18. I remember that
one month after my wedding day, my
mother-in-law took a fish stand and a
bicycle and asked me to sell fish
everyday."
Time code 05:34
The transformed "2019 Hear Here
Music Festival" presented the musical
"The Chants of Motherland Sagas".
The musical is based on many real
stories of grandmas from Hengchun
and Manzhou and it is interwoven
with script and folk songs. It tells a
true friendship among three local
women on the Peninsula in a time
when women had no free will to
decide for their lives.
Time code 05:54
Grandma Zhang said, (Original
recording) "They came to chat
with us but we had no idea that
our stories would be adopted into a
musical show. It has been a long time
since the musical was written when we
were asked to act on stage in the show.
It was hard to reject them, so we said
yes."
Time code 06:09
(Live recording from the musical "The
Chants of Motherland Sagas") "My hands
used to be soft and pretty. Now they are
rough and tanned. My hands become
strong because I had to mix cement,
work on fengshui setting for my family,
and to groom the farm field. There are
too many to mention."
27
◾ Grandmas' Stories and Folk Songs
Are Based on Their True Life
Experiences
Time code 06:23
"With acting and singing, we try to tell
real-life stories of the local women".
Festival producer Zhang told us, "My
team cooperated with two Taiwanese
drama groups, "Tainaner Ensemble"
and "Slash with 3 cats", to write the
play script. In order to make the script
more real to the original stories, we
divided the team into small groups,
spent at least four months to go to
Hengchun and Manzhou to listen to
the stories in person and to have a
taste of the folk music. Each line in the
script and each adapted song in the
musical are based upon their life
experiences."
Time code 06:53
Mr. Zhang kept saying,
(Original recording) "The songs
originated from the singers'
real life experiences and they are not
fictional. The stories are close to reality
and are unique by nature. Every elderly
lady is unparalleled. When woven
together, their stories become a brilliant
story script."
Time code 07:06
(Rehearsal recording from the musical
"The Chants of Motherland Sagas")
Time code 07:13
Ms. Yi-wen Zhu, the Stage Play
Director, said, (Original
recording) "It was not an easy
task. The hardest part was to have the
grandmas off guard because we look too
young to them. It didn't strike me until
the latter part of the script writing that
the songs are appealing only when they
sing the songs. That was when we started
to invite them to be part of it and to sing
in the musical."
Time code 07:40
The 28-years-old director, Ms. Zhu,
was born and raised in Pingtung
County. She admitted that she had
never heard of Peninsula folk music
when she was offered the job. Her
ability of speaking Taiwanese was also
limited so it was absolutely
challenging to her when she had to
communicate with these grandmas or
even to teach them how to act on
stage.
Time code 07:58
Ms. Zhu said, (Original
recording) "Challenging as it
may seem, Hengchun folk
music is traditional by nature and there
are certain fixed rules to follow.
Grandmas have limited flexibility when
singing the songs. Another challenge
was coordination. Grandmas come from
different places, like Manzhou or
Hengchun. That enhanced the levels of
complexity and broadened the range of
discussion topics."
28
Time code 08:24
(Rehearsal recording) Director:
"Grandma, it's great that you remember
what to do just now, but Ms. Feng
secretly gave you a reminder and I heard
it. Ms. Feng, please do not remind her
later…"
◾ Grandmas Lack Acting Experiences
and Everything Seems Like a
Challenge
Time code 08:36
In an attempt to help grandmas, who
had no former acting experiences, act
smoothly on the stage, Director Zhu
offered drama and body language
training courses to these elderly ladies
in advance. She also took them to get
familiar with the venue and the stage
setting of each scene. She hired four
professional actors to perform on
stage along with them with staff
assistance on the side. With all that
being said, everything still seems full
of adventure and challenge to the
elderly.
Time code 09:02
Grandma Zhang said, (Original
recording) "The most difficult
part was the beginning. The
script is long and there are many parts
that I have to recite. I couldn't fall asleep
several nights and I used cheat sheets,
jotted down the important words,
sticking them all over my moon guitar.
Haha, I wasn't the only one doing so. I
went to the set and everyone else was
also sticking their cheat sheets. I thought
there was only me. It was surprising to
me that they were doing the same as me.
Haha."
Time code 09:25
Grandma Lin said, (Original
recording) "There's a feature of
folk music- everyone sings
their own version. You may adjust the
spot where you stand on stage, but you
can't do so with music. There is no
turning back once you start singing.
That's why folk music choir takes more
effort to arrange."
Time code 09:39
(Rehearsal recording from the musical
"The Chants of Motherland Sagas")
29
Time code 10:07
Amateur actresses, who are over 70
years old, act and sing on stage while
reciting lyrics and lines. At the same
time, they have to focus on the
directions of their movement on stage
and manage to present the precise
facial expressions. All these skills are
testing their body strength and
memory. Sometimes, it is also
challenging to the director when they
improvise on stage.
Time code 10:24
(Rehearsal recording) Elderly: No, that
line isn't necessary. It's fine. (Director:
Hold on, who decided that there is no
line here?")
Time code 10:32
Ms. Zhu said, (Original
recording) "There was! There
were some free styles in their
performance. Yet, the most precious part
of their performance fell upon the idea
that grandma singers were not limited to
the lines. Sometimes, they spoke what
came to their minds and we did not
correct them much. Unless, the
improvisation got too long."
Time code 10:49
Grandma Xie said, (Original
recording) "I think the stage
director must be exhausted.
Haha. It's not an easy task to be a director.
She had to run everywhere when we
made wrong moves on stage and she's
too young to correct us directly. Haha."
Time code 11:03
(Rehearsal recording) "(Grandmas:
Where the house is located, that's
Hengchun~ We support you.) Director:
Wait a minute, this could be done better.
Say the line "We support you" out loud
without hesitation."
30
◾ Folk Music Sounds Sad and Plain; A
Real Challenge to the Stage Music
Design
Time code 11:16
Through repeated rehearsals and
corrections, the musical depicts the
various faces of Peninsula women;
amateur actresses began to act
naturally and are familiar with the
beats of music. Compared to other
musicals, the traditional folk music
sounds sad and dull. It gives Mr. Qian-
xin Lin, the music designer, challenges
how to be creative and innovative.
Time code 11:39
Mr. Lin said (Original recording)
"I didn't deconstruct the
traditional folk music because I
thought most people had limited
knowledge of it. In the musical, I didn't
decompose the chords or to deconstruct
the tunes. I only created a new tune to
relate to the original ones."
Time code 11:58
(Rehearsal recording from the musical
"The Chants of Motherland Sagas")
Time code 12:16
Mr. Lin said, (Original recording)
"What was more difficult was
when we intended to change
the ways they sang. That would be a
challenge. I always "got" these elderly
ladies. One asked, "Did we sing so quickly
last time?" I'd reply, "No, you didn't. Let's
sing again." So their singing got quicker
each time they repeated singing. Now,
they can sing at a lively way and an
expected speed."
Time code 12:41
In addition, Mr. Lin also adopted
modern musical instruments, such as
guitar or violin, to mix playing with
moon guitar or erhu. Through these
newly adopted tunes, the classical
tunes, like Pingpu tune or Feng-gang-
xiao-diao tune, get to keep original
and even draw the youth to learn
about it or even to pass it around.
Time code 13:02
Mr. Lin said, (Original recording)
"Folk music is something that
has been passed down from
long time ago. How can we "tune it in"
31
with young listeners? In another word,
my hope is to build the bridge between
two sides with the playing of modern
musical instruments to make
connections with young audiences."
Time code 13:26
(Rehearsal recording from the musical
"The Chants of Motherland Sagas")
Time code 13:45
The musical, which combined modern
and traditional elements, touched the
hearts of these elderly ladies.
Time code 13:51
Grandma Qiu-yue Lin said,
(Original recording) "We
wanted to let everyone see,
listen to, and fall in love with the
traditional folk music. Without breaking
the old conventions, It'd be hard to be
accepted by the youth. It will never be
passed down by the young people, even
when you sing it well."
◾ the Musical Made Its Debut a Hit
Without Extraordinary Cast
Time code 14:18
Without famous actors or supreme
cast, the musical, which tells stories of
these grandmas in Hengchun
Peninsula, was performed on the first
night of 2019 Hear Here Music Festival.
It not only was a hit to the audience
from all kinds of background but also
made the younger residents
reminiscent of their homeland.
Time code 14:33
Meiqi Chen, a local resident, said,
(Original recording) "It's amazing to me.
In fact, I shed tears during the show. The
lyrics are full of blessings and somewhat
sad. I thought of my own grandma. Folk
music sealed their memory in time
indeed. Every time they sang during the
show, I felt a rush of emotions
skyrocketing to the top of my throat. It's
like seeing my grandma singing and
humming in the old days."
Time code 14:54
Zhenyi Wu, a local resident, told us,
(Original recording) "The festival was
fully packed, so many that some even
stood at the brink of the venue. That
scene is quite surprising to me. At the
moment, I felt quite touched when
seeing the grandma singers at their age
acting on stage with all their hearts."
32
Time code 15:07
The musical, signifying a memory
from homeland and connecting the
old and new local generations, took
the debut by storm and made a hit for
the first performance in 2019. The
second round of performance was
held by the end of 2020, last year, in
Taipei city with a subtle change of the
script. It was also a surprise for the
Taipei audiences.
Time code 15:26
(Live performance from the musical "The
Chants of Motherland Sagas" in Taipei)
Time code 15:46
Ms. Lai from Taipei said, (Original
recording) "There is a moment when the
grandma singers sang to the bride-to-be
granddaughter with "Niu-mu-ban tune".
I felt I was crying my eyes out because
that scene reminded me of my grandma.
That was a really emotional moment.
Actually, for several times. It's a
tearjerker."
Time code 16:04
Mr. Li from Taipei said, (Original
recording) "What I like the most about
the musical is that it puts three
generations of people in one scene. I like
that a lot. Thanks to the musical,
otherwise, I would never get to learn
about Hengchun folk music."
33
◾ Musical Performed in Taipei Enraged
the Residents in Peninsula
Time code 16:24
The musical tells stories of local
elderly. It's full of laughter and tears.
Each show is fully packed with
unceasing cheers at the end. The
musical took Taipei by storm, but
residents in the Peninsula didn't seem
to share the same excitement. The
show made its Hengchun premiere in
2019, yet, the seats at that time were
limited and it was hard to get. Locals
have waited for a year for the second
round of the show in their area but
there was only one performance
ensued in Taipei. In the end, they still
had no chance to see the musical
that's telling their own stories.
Time code 16:56
Ms. Wu, a Peninsula resident, said,
(Original recording) "What a pity. Local
things stay local. This may also help
promote the tourism in Hengchun and
it's a plus to me. People in Taipei should
come all the way here to watch the show,
that's what I mean local things stay local.
It would deprive of the local feelings if it's
not played locally."
Time code 17:10
Ms. Lai, an audience from Taipei said,
(Original recording) "You hold a local
festival, then you should invite more local
residents in Hengchun to take part in it
instead of taking the elderly all the way
from Hengchun to Taipei. The show is
not scheduled to be played where it is
based upon. Don't you find the whole
thing unreasonable? The point falls in the
hometown and more effort should be
put in there instead of bringing the show
to Taipei. I think it's putting the cart
before the horse."
34
Time code 17:33
(Live performance from the musical "The
Chants of Motherland Sagas" in Taipei)
Time code 17:58
A chilly night in Taipei. The singing of
grandma singers resounded in the sky.
Audience sitting on the seats let go
themselves and sang along with
clapping even though the story is
about people in Hengchun Peninsula.
To all the performers and production
team, it was beyond words.
Time code 18:13
Grandma Zhang told us,
(Original recording) "Yes, I felt
so happy. We made a hit on
stage and I'm relieved that we didn't let
the director down. Haha. (Were you
worried?) To tell you the truth, I was
afraid that we would be disappointing to
all. Right, I thought we'd blow it."
Time code 18:25
Grandma Lin said, (Original
recording) "What truly moved
my heart was their passionate
response for us. That's the point. That
means Hengchun folk music is valuable
so that they need to be preserved for the
coming generations."
Time code 18:54
Yiwen Zhu, the stage director,
said, (Original recording) "In a
sense, I feel I'm quite lucky to
acquire knowledge of Hengchun. It is
also my honor to stay with these
grandmas for a while and get to learn
about their stories and this land."
Time code 19:10
Setting off from the homeland, the
musical connects the old and the
young generations altogether. It not
only told the local grandmas' stories
but also enriched the value of
Hengchun folk music for coming
generations.