Taiwanese musician and theatre artist Chiu Shu 邱舒 often introduces herself as a Hakka singer. But that definition doesn’t restrict her to performing folk music associated with this distinct Han Chinese subgroup.
“It’s not about being recognized through a specific musical genre; rather, the act of creating music—especially in one’s mother tongue—is what I find truly invaluable,” Shu tells Pancouver in Mandarin over Zoom.
“Since people can often identify the language being used, it immediately gives them the impression that the music is something distinct—different from what they might typically categorize as ‘Mandarin pop’,” she adds.
Different, indeed. Take, for example, the Official Music Video for her urgent hip-hop composition “講好个人咧? Where Are You? HAMLET!” Shu puts a 21st-century spin on Shakespeare’s tragic figure Ophelia. Hamlet dumped her in the play long before killing her father and fatally wounding her brother.
“In this modern interpretation, my Ophelia still resonates with the original text—she remains a figure of resistance against the patriarchy,” Shu declares.
“What I’ve chosen to emphasize in my portrayal is her willingness to express her anger,” she adds. “In part, this is because hip-hop itself is inherently a form of protest—a way of challenging the world—which sets it apart from many other musical genres.”
Jade Music Fest will present Chiu Shu in concert at 7 p.m. on Saturday (November 7) at Performance Works on Granville Island. Tickets are available through Showpass.com.
Ophelia lashes out at “scumbag” Hamlet
Shu’s song, “講好个人咧? Where Are You? HAMLET!” is one of nine tracks on her latest album, 正來尞 (I’m Hanging with Chiu Shu), which was released in late June.
The new song mark a significant departure from her 2022 debut Hakka studio album, Waiting a present for 等路, which won Best Folk Album at the Golden Indie Music Awards. But it’s not a huge stretch for Shu, who has performed with several theatre companies, including Shakespeare’s Wild Sisters Group in Taiwan.
Shu insists that her depiction of Ophelia in the “Where Are You? HAMLET!” music video remains faithful to the character’s arc in the play. Whereas Ophelia is often portrayed as weeping and wailing, Shu embraces her willingness to fight back against what Hamlet did to her and other members of her family.
“From the perspective of a modern woman, it’s as if she finally finds the courage to lash out at this ‘scumbag’—confronting him for killing her father and brother, and for deceiving her emotionally.”
Furthermore, she wove certain visual details into the video and the vocal harmonies to hint at the character’s eventual fate.
“These narrative threads remain firmly rooted in the original source material,” Shu emphasizes.
Pancouver associate editor becky tu translated Chiu Shu’s comments in Mandarin into English.
Shu addresses imposter syndrome
This is just one of three highly imaginative Official Music Videos co-produced by Chintang Lan 藍靖婷 for songs on the new album. “Nung nung nung nung (Murmurs)” delves into a surreal landscape as it transformed an internal monologue into an absurd yet authentic theatrical performance.
After Lan looked at the lyrics of “Murmurs”, he asked Shu if she might be describing the “imposter syndrome”.
“I hadn’t even realized it had a name, but after he heard my demo and pointed it out, I came to understand that this is a feeling many other creators have likely experienced at some point, too,” Shu says. “For me, the director actually managed to inject a sense of humor into the music video regarding the subject matter.”
The fun-loving video takes many forms. It opens with Chu crossing a short sidewalk before being thrust into a dreamlike sequence surrounded by Dali-like folded clocks and psychedelic imagery. At one point, she is alone in many small rooms simultaneously. Then, suddenly, several versions of herself float in a pink jumpsuit through a pinkish haze.
“There’s a part later on where I look rather bizarre—it looks like I’m practicing Tai Chi,” Shu adds. “In reality, the director just asked me, ‘Is there any other movement you’d like to do?’ So, while listening to the music, I began performing what I imagined to be a form of Tai Chi-inspired guidance.”
She feels that this sequence captures her state of mind quite well.
“Even when my thoughts are in complete, chaotic disarray, it doesn’t necessarily mean I have to remain mired in deep, heavy sorrow,” Shu declares.
Video features images of loss
In effect, “Murmurs” is a healing journey.
“It may come across as humorous, or perhaps just like a bit of fun—but in reality, it embodies many of the fears and the overwhelming ‘noise’ that I, as a creator, have personally experienced,” Shu states. “It is a song that I only managed to write after enduring a long, drawn-out period of such internal noise. That is, in fact, the truth of it.”
The new album’s third imaginative Official Music Video is “鏡仔 Mirror”. It’s a song of loss, written originally for a family member who passed away. Yet it’s presented with a great deal of joy. A big balloon changes colours as Shu strolls through the streets of Taipei before climbing a staircase.
The song took on a more domestic tone as Shu thought about other losses in her life. She’s pleased that the director of the video didn’t go the most obvious route and include literal imagery of a mirror. The different-coloured balloons represent various people, events, times, and places in people’s lives.
“There is one brief sequence, appearing around the two-minute mark, that features a collection of photographs,” Shu notes. “These are images of beings who are no longer with us—including a close relative of mine (my cousin), a dog from my drama department days that I still hold dear, and a cat that belonged to a friend of mine.
Concert details
Jade Music Fest will present Chiu Shu at 7 p.m. on Saturday (November 7) at Performance Works on Granville Island. The concert will also feature Vancouver R&B and soul singer-songwriter Kristin Fung and the Taiwanese indie band Mango Jump. Tickets cost $25 and are available through Showpass.com. Doors open at 6 p.m.
Pancouver associate editor becky tu translated Chiu Shu’s comments in Mandarin into English. Follow Pancouver on X @PancouverMedia. Find Pancouver on Bluesky @pancouver.bsky.social and Instagram @PancouverMedia.
