Local musicians to perform at Glastonbury Festival
2017/06/07
Three Taiwan musicians will perform June 21-25 at Glastonbury Festival 2017 in southwest England’s Somerset County, promoting the nation’s musical talent at one of the world’s most famous performing arts gatherings.
At the invitation of Malcolm Haynes, programmer of the festival’s Silver Hayes area, popular indigenous musicians Abao and Matzka are both scheduled to perform on the Gully stage. The artists are also slated to appear on the VIP stage of the West Holts Backstage Bar, which can only be accessed by festival organizers, musicians and other important figures in the music industry. This will be the first time for Taiwan musicians to play on the VIP stage.
According to festival organizers, Taiwan artist and music producer DJ RayRay is scheduled to perform at the Blues stage, also in the Silver Hayes area. She will later put on a second performance at the Spike stage of the festival’s Glade area.
The three musicians’ performances will come on the heels of Taiwan Beats, a concert taking place June 20 in London. Organized by the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development under the Ministry of Culture, the free event aims to highlight Taiwan’s pop music scene and is open to the public.
An indigenous musician from the nation’s Paiwan tribe, Abao—also known as Aljenljeng Tjatjaljuvy—is famous for combining traditional tribal songs with modern pop style. This year, she is nominated for Best Aboriginal Singer at the Golden Melody Awards, Taiwan’s equivalent to the Grammy Awards.
Matzka, also from the Paiwan tribe, makes music evocative of reggae that includes elements of indigenous songs as well as jazz, folk, heavy metal and hip hop.
This is the second time for DJ RayRay—a renowned disc jockey and music producer in Taiwan—to perform at Glastonbury. In 2013, she won the Red Bull Thre3style DJ competition in Taiwan.
According to the BAMID, Glastonbury Festival—launched in 1970—attracts around 150,000 music lovers to the English countryside each year. Taiwan musicians have performed there since 2014.
Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=18&post=116356)