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Bang! Bang! Music!

"Taiwan's Kenny G," Shi Te-lin, provides a taste of the music coming up at this year's Penghu Fireworks and Music Festival. JULES QUARTLY, TAIPEI TIMES

The image of Penghu's Fireworks and Music Festival (澎湖海上花火節) which begins tomorrow is of a long-haired rock star in a paradise destination silhouetted by fireworks.

It's a lively idea that is being broadcast in adverts on local TV stations and appears in promotional material sent out by the Penghu County Government tourism office.

The reality will be "Taiwan's Kenny G," minor singing stars like Mei Mei (美美) and a smattering of foreign bands or cabaret acts who will perform at the Guanyin Pavilion Leisure Park in Makung City over the next four months.

With the addition of some controlled explosions and stalls it should be entertaining enough and though the event is not going to set the world alight it may provide a convenient peg on which to hang a trip to some of the 64 islets that form Penghu.

The problem is this sort of thing has been done before, most notably by Macau, which has been holding its annual fireworks display for over 17 years.

Penghu's festival was conceived in 2003, when severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was at its height, and it has since struggled to make a mark.

This is the first year, however, when organizers have tried to reach out to younger and international tourists by putting on foreign acts.

"It will be fun here, more beautiful and less crowded than Kenting," said Sean Kaiteiri, one of the consultants brought in to give the festival a youthful edge.

He said bands such as the jazz duo Frienz would perform from Monday, followed by fire troupes, the reggae band Red I, Jobo Jangles the Clown, the David Foster Band, punk outfit The Deported and Chinese cover band Candybox, among others.

At the press conference last week in Taipei to introduce the festival, Taiwan's self-proclaimed Kenny G provided a taste of the entertainment to come.

A succession of bigwigs from Penghu, including the county commissioner Wang Chien-fa (王乾發), then stepped up to the stage to say how beautiful the place is.

This is true. Moreover, Penghu is an outstanding venue for water sports. It is said to have the best windsurfing in the world, good waves, fine fishing and great coral reefs to explore. Some of its beaches are exceedingly fine and are well worth a visit. A pyrotechnical spectacle could be just the excuse you needed.

The festival is on two stages. Starting tomorrow and until June 18 there will be fireworks and a show every two days. From July 29 to Aug. 4 there will be similar entertainment every day.

For further information contact the Penghu County Government tourism office on (06) 9274 400, or check out the Web site at www.penghu.gov.tw.
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