Traditional music
In 1949, when the Republic of China once again ruled the country through the Kuomintang, Chinese culture was imposed to the detriment of Taiwanese (Mandarin, for example, became the official language). This can still be seen today in the practice of traditional Chinese music, which is extremely common in Taiwan. As almost all children learn an instrument, and classes abound in the big cities, many of them play a traditional instrument. Orchestras are also very numerous, and concerts very frequent. Although traditional Chinese music is very present in Taiwan, the island continues to cultivate its own musical folklore. One of its oldest forms is the beiguan. Dating from the Qing dynasty (17th century), it is considered the "pop" of the agricultural societies of yesteryear and can be performed in two different ways: luantanxi, a theatrical style, and zidi xuanshe, a group performance. Another great Taiwanese traditional music, nanguan , originates from Quanzhou. This slow, delicate music is generally played with lutes (including the pipa , recognizable by its snake-head neck), samhian, flute and erxien (two-string bow). Remarkable and emblematic, the nanguan was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2009. And because every genre has its legend, if one great voice were to sum up traditional Taiwanese music, it would undoubtedly be Chen Da. A memorable figure in the resistance against Chinese rule in the second half of the 20th century, and an exceptional player of the yueqin (the Chinese lute also known as the "guitar-moon"), the artist is the most revered name in Taiwanese folk music. A good way to hear Taiwanese folk music performed with talent is to keep up to date with the Formosa Indigenous Dance Foundation of Culture and Arts. With members from most of the country's aboriginal communities (Amis, Bunun, Paiwan and Tao), this well-known organization has been working for the past twenty-five years to research, reconstruct and preserve the traditional songs and dances of aboriginal communities, and stage them in performances. Another good address is the Taiwan Traditional Theatre Center, home to the Chinese National Orchestra of Taiwan, an excellent interpreter of traditional Chinese and (purely) Taiwanese music.
Popular music
In Taiwan, popular music is a social and cultural issue intimately linked to the island's status and history. To understand this, we need to go back to the period between 1949 and 1987, when the country was under martial law. At that time, the ruling Kuomintang government restricted the use of languages other than Mandarin in the arts and on television, and even banned it from schools. When this restriction was lifted in the 1990s, habits remained unchanged, and Mandarin remained the language of choice for Taiwanese artists. Then, in the early 2000s, a growing sense of national identity began to emerge, and folk songs written in Taiwanese, such as those by Hsieh Ming-yu, enjoyed resounding success. Since then, music written in Taiwanese has often been used as a banner brandished against Chinese rule, as recently during the "Sunflower Movement" (2014). Listening to a song in Taiwanese is more than just a music lover's dream - it's a symbol.
It's in this context that, since the 1990s, a whole scene of variety music sung in Taiwanese - "T-pop" - has been developing in opposition to that sung in Mandarin Chinese: the famous mandopop.
Stylistically, the two are twins - romantic songs now infused with R'n'B or house - distinguished only by language. T-pop, however, often has that extra je-ne-sais-quoi of being a bit rebellious. One of the genre's great stars (and a pioneer) is Lim Giong. Since his 1990 debut Marching Forward, he has been writing exclusively in Taiwanese, cultivating an aura of avant-gardism as well as itchiness. The same goes for T-pop diva A-mei. While she's famous for her sweet rock melodies and muscular singles driven by her powerful voice, A-mei is also an icon of the genre for two reasons. Firstly, she used to be close to the radical, pro-independence ideas of ex-president Chen Shui-bian (which she had to renounce after being banned from the stage by Beijing). Secondly, as a native artist from the Puyuma tribe, A-mei's success was part of Taiwan's "new wave of indigenous pop" at the end of the 20th century. Ironically, Taiwan remains the heart of the Mandopop music industry worldwide. Taiwanese artists such as Jay Chou, nicknamed "the king of pop", Jolin Cai, the "Asian Madonna" or Show Luo, "Asia's dance king", are huge stars in the Far East. And they sing in Mandarin.
Classical music
"This wonderful island gave me the best musical experience of my life". This phrase was coined by Henry Mazer (1918-2002), the famous American conductor who fell in love with Taiwan. Through his work with the Taipei Philharmonic Orchestra, Mazer enabled Taiwanese classical music and its musicians to shine beyond the country's borders. And despite the country's modest size and lack of tradition in the field, the number of Taiwanese musicians trained at some of the most prestigious conservatories in Europe and America means that the local scene is full of nuggets. Starting with the musicians of the National Symphonic Orchestra (or NSO), also known as the Taiwan Philharmonic outside Taiwan. The resident orchestra of the National Concert Hall (opposite its twin, the National Theater), it performs both Taiwanese commissions and works by composers such as Mahler and Messiaen. We meet a few familiar faces: conductor Lü Shao-chia - a Taiwanese often seen at the baton in Europe, notably in front of the Orchestre National de France - and two superb violin soloists: Wu Ting-Yu and Li I-ching. Funded by a major Taiwanese industrial group, the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra also enjoys a good reputation abroad, thanks to numerous recordings for the German label CPO. Just as prestigious as the previous two entities, the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Eliahu Inbal (a Bernstein protégé), is known for its annual opera, which has become a major musical event. In the past, the TSO has performed great works such as La Traviata, Faust, Carmen, Turandot and Aida , collaborating with such luminaries as Angela Gheorghiu, Yo-Yo Ma and Mstislav Rostropovich.
Historically, classical music in Taiwan has been marked by the desire to bring together local and Western musical traditions. Three great names - Hsu Tsang-Houei (1929-2001), Ma Shui-Long (1939-2015) and Pan Hwang-Long (b. 1945) - are famous for their writing incorporating traditional Chinese and Taiwanese musical instruments into the classical repertoire. In the same spirit, Tysen Hsiao, the "Taiwanese Rachmaninoff", laid the foundations of the neo-Taiwanese style with his Bartokian work, in which the essence of folk melody infuses classical, romantic, impressionist and modern styles. As for the musicians, while mainland China monopolizes the spotlight with outstanding soloists such as Yuja Wang and Lang Lang, Taiwan too has its share of virtuosos. Cho-Liang Lin is a fine example. This magnificent American violinist of Taiwanese origin sees each of his performances acclaimed by the critics and is coveted by the world's leading orchestras. Another great Taiwanese soloist: Rueibin Chen. A pianist of astonishing technique, he is regularly acclaimed by critics and his peers for the quality of his interpretations. The latest prodigy is Szuyu Rachel Su. This young pianist, born in 1998, has been playing since the age of four and has won a string of awards in prestigious competitions.
Theater and dance
Given the importance of Chinese influence in the country, Chinese opera has been a widespread theatrical form on the island for one hundred and fifty years. A synthetic art form combining storytelling, dance, music, acrobatics and traditional martial arts, it comes in a variety of styles (Peking, Chiu Chow or Canton opera), each with its own grace. With no stage decor, the show is highly codified (roles, gestures, facial expressions, etc.), while make-up and costumes tell the story of the characters and their characters. Music - the same aria can be used in different operas - accompanies the action and the actors on stage. Less and less popular in Beijing, Chinese opera is fairly well preserved in Taiwan, where new works continue to be added to the repertoire. Taiwanese ensembles such as the Guoguang National Opera Troupe give performances all over the world, taking the masterpieces of Chinese opera on the road with them.
Even more popular, Taiwanese opera is often considered a national emblem, so much so does it embody the essence of the country's culture. Shaped by the island's history, it has found renewed interest among the population whenever it has been seen as an opportunity to assert a national identity (notably during the Japanese occupation). Born less than a century ago, Taiwanese opera goes by the Chinese name of Gezaixi. Sung entirely in Taiwanese dialect, it is codified in the same way as Chinese opera, but here the plot is most often based on local folk tales and legends. The most famous troupes, such as Ming Hwa Yuan, have performed abroad, in Japan and France. An excellent place to see them in Taipei is the Taiwan Cement Hall. The TaipeiEYE show, a skilful blend of traditional arts such as puppet theater, Taiwanese opera and aboriginal dance, is performed here three times a week. Taiwan also has a fine contemporary dance scene - invited annually to Avignon - with some very strong choreographic proposals. One name to remember in this genre is Cloud Gate Dance Theatre. Formed in 1970, this acclaimed company is a pioneer in local contemporary dance and has injected an Asian sensibility into the discipline.
