Dear Music Lover,
How have you been? In addition to the review of the outdoor Earth Stage at the 2023 World Music Festival @ Taiwan, let us introduce two indoor stages. Without the constraints of distance and height, the movements on stage become much clearer, fostering a more intimate connection with both the artists and participants. Surrounded by a superb acoustic ambiance, the resonance is enhanced, providing an even better experience.
Frameless Stage : Vibing, Stylish, International
At the Frameless Stage, aside from the international forums, we hosted a total of six Showcases, with three workshops and performances taking turns. Showcases featured a wide range of music genres, including folk, jazz, reggae, electronic and more, thereby highlighting the diversity of the festival.
Listening to the Go Go Machine Orchestra is akin to watching a rotating kaleidoscope, sometimes spinning rapidly and at other times, slowly. Moreover, they aspire to seamlessly integrate visual elements with music, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.
Built on a solid foundation, the Portrait Quintet smoothly navigates between notes through improvisational play. With a seamless blend of Jazz, Swing, Blues, and more, the audience immersed themselves in the natural grooves and the rich fusion of styles.
With an Afro-style infused with reggae, Higher Rootz captivated the audience, inspiring them to resonate and dance. The entire band, deeply immersed in the music, conveyed a distinctive taste that embodied a rich cultural diversity.
On the second day of the Showcase, Freedom Beat & Cheer concluded a spectacular musical journey. With drumbeats resounding in succession, it felt as if they were a group of sorcerers performing magic, whisking the audience away to a dreamland with their self-made potion.
Continuing with a purely instrumental performance, Poorva181 fully showcased their tacit agreement. Infusing flavors from Taiwan, Japan, and India, the result was a fresh, peaceful sound that brought a sense of novel auditory experience to the audience.
Pipo Romero from Spain skillfully played his acoustic guitar, expertly intertwining folk elements with both the violinist and percussionist. Leading the audience through a spectrum of emotions, Pipo's performance conveyed his unique story.
On the final day of the festival, Ohelen from Korea captivated the audience and cast them under a spell of enchantment with her comforting, languid voice. Her casual humming prompted the crowd to instinctively nod and sway to the rhythm. Additionally, by projecting her paintings on the screen, the audience gained a deeper understanding of her through another form of art, allowing them to perceive the artist before them in a multiple lights.
Argentina Tango Fiesta, Musa, is a dynamic ensemble renowned for their distinctive styles. This time, they collaborated with vocal artists to reimagine traditional Paiwan songs in the style of Tango, infusing Taiwanese elements to localize the music. Their concluding performance at the Frameless Stage marked a brilliant punctuation to the 2023 WMFT slogan, “Make your Frameless world.” By breaking down the limitations and frames of music genres, we embraced the diversity of this earth.
Listening to music can stimulate nerve cells, creating a range of emotional and cognitive responses.
Chillin’ Stage : Relax, Spiritual, Chill
If a music festival is solely focused on listening, it provides a simple form of enjoyment. However, when music is combined with other sensory experiences, creating a space where both auditory and olfactory senses are stimulated, we curate captivating events at the Chillin’ Stage.
At the Silent Disco party, ANKR, a DJ duo skilled at blending electronic music with natural elements, presented their music to the audience in a unique way—exclusively through headphones. With different tracks playing in their headphones, the audience immersed themselves in a personal world, experiencing a deeper connection to the music, all while enjoying live performances and maintaining individual space.
The other immersive party, Aroma Disco, was performed by Cicada and the ALIZ scent group. Cicada, a chamber music band inspired by natural sounds like mountains, oceans, streams, creatures, and the earth, created a meditative atmosphere. As the audience closed their eyes, they began to envision the landscapes in their minds, enhanced by the increasing olfactory layers.
The final immersive party was a fusion of auditory and visual experiences. Liquid light artist Bio collaborated with traditional Liuqin player Chung-Ching Chen. With a diverse range of classical music genres, the scene transformed with an array of colors. By combining rendering techniques with physical projectors and music, they catalyzed a chemical reaction among music, space, and vision, exploring the possibilities of various art forms.
In addition to the multisensory immersive parties, there were talented artists who infused cultural flavors into their performances. Labaga Taru brought ancient music and traditional instruments to the stage, leaving the audience with a lasting impression of the indigenous Taroko style. 3PEOPLEMUSIC, a distinctive chamber music trio playing string instruments Guzheng, Zhongruan, and Dixiao, freely explored styles from improvisation to cross-genre, guiding the audience through a journey from classic to contemporary music.
Workshops : Exchange, Explore, Curiousity
Among the three workshops, the audience gained a lot of knowledge from international artists. The Korean band ADG7 shared their instruments and skillfully showcased the techniques and stories behind them.
The next workshop, led by four guests—J-Pop queen Hitoto Yo, GMA Best Indigenous Singer Sangpuy, GMA Best Arranger Tzu-lung Hung, and WMFT Program Header Peiti Huang—focused on their experiences with co-production shows. Facing challenges from diverse music styles, they meticulously selected songs and seamlessly combined their distinctive features into the show, marking a crucial highlight of the 2023 WMFT.
Balaklava Blues passionately taught four kinds of Ukrainian dances. After the workshop, they exclaimed, “You guys are unbelievable Ukrainian dancers!” It is evident that Taiwanese people are eager to learn from different cultures, transcending language barriers.
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