For B.C. musicians of a bygone era, a career highlight came when they performed at the Expo 86 World’s Fair in Vancouver. Fusion-folk singer-songwriter Ginalina, on the other hand, will soon count playing a world expo in Japan as a memorable musical moment.
The four-time Juno nominee has been invited to perform at the prestigious Kansai World Music Expo. The conference runs for six months in conjunction with Expo 2025 in Osaka, which is in the Kansai region. She will also present songs from her latest album, All the Earth Speaks, at the official World Music Expo Canadian Pavilion.
“I am just so excited because it’s my debut entry into Japan,” Ginalina tells Pancouver over Zoom. “It follows a two week tour in Taiwan, and I’m fascinated to see their landscape, to learn more about their way of life, their art scene, the music.”
Hers is the only Canadian group among 18 international artists and two Japanese artists who are performing there between April 3 and October 5.
“Having my multi-instrumentalist bandmate, Steve Charles, during the eight shows allows me more musical variety—guitar, fiddle, and accordion.”
Every year, the Kansai Music Conference invites independent musicians from around the world to perform live in Japan. In addition, guests attend seminars and workshops to learn more about the Japanese music industry. Ginalina’s concert will be on Thursday (May 1) and she will attend events over the following two days.
She will also play the Canadian Pavilion at noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. on May 4 and 5.
It comes in the wake of her recent sets at the Jade Music Fest in Asia in Taipei. On April 26, Ginalina performed with the Suona Gang of Taiwan. Then on April 27, she played a solo gig—one of 13 Canadian musicians on the main stage that day.
From Japan to Granville Island
Ginalina’s parents are Taiwanese immigrants and she has performed in Taiwan before. She has also performed in China.
Earlier in her career, she focused on writing and performing family folk songs, often in English but sometimes in Mandarin and French, which she also speaks. In recent years, Ginalina has embraced more folk sounds from around the world, hence her preference for the term “fusion folk”.
This was on display on her album Going Back: Remembers and Remixed Family Folk Songs, Vol. 1. In addition to western instrumentalists, she invited Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble members Jirong Huang to play erhu (Chinese two-string violin) and Sarah Yu Sha Tan to play the guzheng (21-string zither).
Since then, Ginalina and Tan are collaborating on a new project further exploring fusion folk. This time, it’s not just an East-West combo. They’re working with Benin-born producer and multi-instrumentalist Yoro Noukoussi, who is an expert in West African rhythms.
“He plays congas, djembe, and talking drum,” Ginalina says. “We’ve known each other for, probably, 10 years. Every time we saw each other at festivals, we’ve always joked that we were going to play together next time.”
This collaboration will take root at the Vancouver International Children’s Festival, which runs from May 27 to June 1 on Granville Island. They will perform Sing the World! With Ginalina and Friends seven times over the five-day event.
“I see folk music as storytelling,” Ginalina explains. “Fusion is a broader term that describes blending two different genres or multiple genres together. To me, it also means the combination of instruments that you wouldn’t typically hear together.”
Watch Ginalina’s music video for “Going Back” (featuring a Taiwaanese folk tune “Sānlúnchē”) with Steve Charles on banjo, Jirong Huang on erhu, Sarah Yu Sha Tan on guzheng, and Joseph Lubinsky-Mast on upright bass.
Event details
To learn more about the Kansai World Music Expo, visit the website. Go to Ginalina.com to find more information about Ginalina’s music. The Vancouver Children’s Festival will present Sing the World! With Ginalina and Friends five times from May 27 to June 1 at the Revue Stage on Granville Island. Tickets are available on the Vancouver International Children’s Festival website.
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