A total of 10 performances in genres ranging from indigenous music to hip-hop are set to feature in the 2019 Presidential Office Concert in front of the national-level historic site April 6 in Taipei City, according to the PO.
Organized by the General Association of Chinese Culture, the two-hour show consists of three sections themed around the beauty of Taiwan’s land, people and heart, the PO said. The National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra led by conductor Yang Chih-chin will provide accompaniment for the participating acts.
PO spokesperson Xavier Chang said that this year’s free concert holds particular significance as it coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Presidential Office Building. The show, as well as an ongoing centenary exhibition at the landmark, underscores the creativity and freedom of Taiwan’s democratic society, he added.
Curated by Taipei Music Center Director Ding Dulan and Chien Wen-pin, executive and artistic director of National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts in southern Taiwan, the concert is designed to showcase the nation’s cultural and linguistic diversity.
The opening section will highlight the vitality of Taiwan’s natural landscapes through performances by musician Sangpuy Katatepan Mavaliyw from the indigenous Pinuyumayan tribe and rock singer Luantan Ascent.
In the second segment on the beauty of Taiwan’s people, six acts are set to deliver contemporary takes on the musical traditions of various ethnic groups, including Hakka singer Lin Sheng-xiang, Pinuyumayan vocalist Samingad and Taiwan Smile Folksong Group. The latter will perform “liam gua,” a form of storytelling interweaving talking and singing in the Holo language.
Featuring punk rock band Fire EX and singer-songwriter Enno Cheng, the final section aims to spotlight the nation’s collective memory and vision for the future. The concert will be livestreamed on various platforms, including the official PO YouTube channel and PTS Plus, an online service operated by Taiwan Public Television Service Foundation.
Launched in 1991 as a show for foreign officials, the PO Concert was converted into a free public event in 2001. After a five-year hiatus, it was relaunched as an annual touring show in 2016, with the previous two editions staged in Pingtung and Changhua counties in southern and central Taiwan, respectively.
GACC, founded in 1967 and headed by President Tsai Ing-wen, works to deepen understanding of local traditions, foster international exchanges and facilitate the development of Taiwan’s cultural and creative industries. (CPY-E)
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