This year’s TAIWANfest will kick off with an unusual free concert, at least by Vancouver standards. Three major Taiwanese acts—each representing a different linguistic tradition in the East Asian nation—will perform at Rally for Taiwan: Music in the Soundscape of Democracy 拉力台灣：音樂在民主的聲場中. Between 12:30 to 5 p.m. on Saturday (August 30), the Hokkien-singing folk band TUDI-VOICE, Truku (Indigenous) singer-songwriter Lihaw Lihang, and the Hakka punk band Traego will all play sets on the Pancouver Stage at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square (north side of the Vancouver Art Gallery).
But beyond these musicians, there are 10 other musical and dance acts this Labour Day weekend on the Pancouver Stage. Scroll down to learn more about each one. Best of all, everything is free at Vancouver TAIWANfest.
Ripple
Dawn of Freedom 自由港 is a rock band dedicated to more than just making music. This quartet of Vancouver-based musicians from Hong Kong is also mission to restore fundamental rights and freedoms in the Asian city they love but had to leave behind. Because their songs and messages are so incendiary to the Chinese Communist Party, Dawn of Freedom performs in masks to hide their identities. But they certainly don’t hide their hearts as they sing what are essentially love letters to the people of Hong Kong.
At the 2023 Jade Music Fest, Dawn of Freedom performed in front of a huge screen, which featured image after image of brave protests by thousands upon thousands of Hong Kong residents. Check out Dawn of Freedom at 5:45 p.m. on Saturday (August 30) on the Pancouver Stage.
Tectonic
This will be the Barangay Project Society’s second Tectonic appearance at Vancouver TAIWANfest following last year’s event at šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square. The street-dance troupe founded by Sophia “Sosa” Laurio will present a series of head-to-head freestyle battles.
Each dancer must adjust to the style of music, which they might not even be familiar with. The winner of the preliminaries becomes King but then must retain the crown in the next round of battles, with ICE-B as DJ. Throughout the competition, Yoshi Hisanaga will judge the dance artists. They include Amy Zhang, Dickson Ly, Andrew Saxon, Punit Singh, and Huncho.
There will also be free 15-minute dance lessons for anyone who wants to learn how to bust a move. It all takes place at 7 p.m. on Saturday (August 30) and Sunday (August 31) on the Pancouver Stage.
Uncle Tom’s Journey to the West
Tom Su is not only a kind-hearted soul, he’s also an extremely talented and versatile violinist. Burnaby council named this Taiwanese immigrant as a Citizen of the Year in 2023 for his efforts to bring music to seniors homes and people with dementia. If the dementia patients are coherent, he asks them for their favourite song or songs. Then he creates a playlist offering his musical interpretations.
Su has also gone out of his way to help refugees feel more welcome in Canada, even inviting them to his home for dinners.
At this year’s TAIWANfest presentation, Su will share four true stories inspired from his time in Penghu, which is an archipelago about 50 kilometres west of the main island of Taiwan. This family-friendly event of storytelling and music will take place at 1 p.m. on Sunday (August 31) on the Pancouver Stage.
More Than a Little Crush
One of Canada’s great jazz artists, Jacq Teh, will perform and speak at several TAIWANfest events this year. In this show, the Toronto-based songwriter, improvisational singer, and music educator will play her original songs about love and heartbreak, starting at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday (August 31) on the Pancouver Stage. Her second EP, “Crush”, includes English, Mandarin, and Hokkien lyrics.
Teh, who grew up speaking Hokkien, co-wrote three songs on Sammy Jackson’s EP “With You”, which won the Juno for Vocal Jazz Album of the Year in 2021. She also performs with the Toronto-based jazz and R&B band Moodset.
Rapshark’s Subtropical Flow
If you haven’t heard Taiwanese rap before, you will have a rare opportunity to do so at 4 p.m. on Sunday (August 31) on the Pancouver Stage. RapShark is from the southern Taiwanese city of Tainan whose musical oeuvre also includes reggae, post-rock, alternative R&B, and indie rock.
A working journalist, RapShark has spoken out in the past against misogyny directed at female rappers.
“Her lyrics come in tides: sometimes gentle, sometimes crashing,” the Vancouver TAIWANfest website states. “Her flow breathes like weather, including low-pressure afternoons, sudden storms, and long, quiet winds. She doesn’t need a label. She is the style.”
Everything Sparks Joy
The title of this event also happens to be the name of alt-pop disruptor AIKO TOMI’s newest album. The Taiwanese-born and Toronto-based performer released this nine-track gem in June. Everything Sparks Joy embodies her knack for combing a zany, upbeat, unpredictable, incisive, and empowering take on the world in a stunningly original musical package.
“This album concept was born when I was called out for being full of shit for expressing my minimalist aspirations,” TOMI said when the album was released. “My response was, ‘I’m not a hoarder, I’m just an indecisive minimalist—EVERYTHING sparks joy.’ It’s for anyone who feels like they exist between worlds—living fully in their dualities.”
You can say one thing about TOMI—she is never boring on-stage. She combines high-energy beats with astonishing lyrics and a highly tuned, avant-garde fashion sense. Check her out on the Pancouver Stage at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday (August 31).
Crossing the Sea, Resonating with the Spirit of Okinawa
Okinawa and Taiwan have followed similar paths. In 1879, the Meiji government formally annexed the Ryukyu Kingdom, which had its distinct Ryukyuan languages and cultural traditions. Sixteen years later following the first Sino-Japanese War, Taiwan began ruling over Taiwan, which had its distinct Indigenous languages as well as many Hokkien and Hakka speakers.
For the next 50 years, Okinawa and Taiwan continued to be part of Japan until the end of the Second World War. Nowadays, there are strong ties between Taiwan and Japan, which still rules over Okinawa.
On the 125th anniversary of Okinawan emigration to Vancouver, Vancouver TAIWANfest will present Vancouver Okinawa Taiko at noon on Monday (September 1) on the Pancouver Stage.
“Through the powerful beats of Eisa drum-dance, graceful Ryukyu buyo, and heartfelt performances, the group carries forward the spirit and cultural legacy of their ancestors across generations and oceans,” the Vancouver TAIWANfest website states.
Flamenco in Dialogue
For the second consecutive year, Vancouver TAIWANfest will present a flamenco performance. It’s in recognition of Taiwan’s historic connection to Spain, which had a colony on the northern tip of the island in the 17th century. But it also reflects flamenco’s growing popularity in Taiwan in the 21st century.
This year as part of a continuation of TAIWANfest’s dialogue with Spain, Flamenco Rosario will put on a show at 1:30 p.m. on Monday (September 1) on the Pancouver Stage. Katia Flores, Yurie Kaneko, and Charo Tsai (Chien-Ai Tsai) will perform this mesmerizing artform alongside skilled musicians Davide Sampaolo, Peter Mole, and Maria Avila. Consider it as a preview for the 35th annual Vancouver International Flamenco Festival, which runs from September 20 to 28.
The Shores of Lisbon
In recent years, TAIWANfest has held dialogues with different countries to promote interculturalism and shed more understanding on the connections between Taiwan and other countries. This year, the festival is focusing on Portugal, which was the first European country to create a colony in East Asia in Macau.
According to Taiwanese historian Kaim Ang, Portuguese was the lingua franca across East Asia from the 16th to 18th centuries.
“This influence can be seen in several transliterated Portuguese loanwords found in historical Taiwanese texts, such as capitão (‘captain’, rendered as 甲必丹), padre (‘priest’, 巴禮), alcool (‘alcohol’, 啊口), and tabaco (‘tobacco’, 淡巴菰 / thà-ba-khòu),” Ang told Pancouver. “More widely known everyday terms like pão (‘bread’, 麵包／pháng) and sabão (‘soap’, 肥皂 / 雪文 / sap-bûn) also entered local usage directly from Portuguese.”
In recognition of Portugal’s legacy in East Asia, the Harmonia String Quartet will perform a program entitled The Shorts of Lisbon at 3 p.m. on Monday (September 1) on the Pancouver Stage. It features Portuguese pianist, composer, and scholar Jose Vianna da Motta’s compositions. That’s in addition to popular Taiwanese songs by Mayday and deceased Mandopop superstar Teresa Teng.
Violinists Matthew Yep and Catie Akune, violist Lukasz Wieczorek, and cellist Zeta Gesme also plan to perform a Danish arrangement of an ancient Shetland boat song. It reflects the theme of this year’s Vancouver TAIWANfest: Echoes of the Ocean.
Song for You
Vancouver TAIWANfest will close the performances in šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square with the award-winning Taiwanese folk band TUDI-VOICE. This thoughtful foursome will perform “Hōo Lí ê Kua (Song for You)” which speaks of the band’s deep love for their country’s agrarian traditions.
“Drawing inspiration from themes such as land, culture, society, family, and the self, TUDI-VOICE blends Taiwanese folk melodies with the spirit of rock to ignite a grassroots revolution for equality, justice, and freedom,” the Vancouver TAIWANfest website states. “Their music remembers past wounds, resistance, and helplessness—transforming pain into creation. Using a mix of instruments like guitar, yueqin (moon lute), cello, bass, and African drums, they weave together diverse cultural sounds and harmonies to spark musical fire.”
They will be on the Pancouver Stage at 5 p.m. on Monday (September 1).
For more information on Vancouver TAIWANfest, visit the website. Follow Pancouver on X @PancouverMedia and Bluesky @pancouver.bsky.social. Pancouver is also on Instagram @PancouverMedia.
