The Cape Town Minstrels Parade sees more than 45 troupes, consisting of 25,000 to 30,000 performers, marching through the center of Cape Town dressed in bright colored costumes, playing music and dancing. The “Tweede Nuwe Jaar” celebration dates back to the time before slavery was abolished in the Cape Colony, during which slaves were allowed to relax on the day following New Year’s Day.
After emancipation, freed slaves formed dance bands, at first playing mainly European music, but later developing Creole repertoires.
Their New Year celebrations were significantly influenced by American minstrel troupes, initially comprised of white performers in “blackface” impersonating African-American slaves. These performers would wear eccentric clothing with colorful tailcoats, emulating society’s upper class.
Photo: AFP
照片:法新社
The Minstrel Carnival, then, is a reminder of Cape Town’s slavery past, but also of the role of dance and music as a celebration of freedom.
Modern-day troupes aim at creating social cohesion, youth activities and a connection to culture in the mostly impoverished and crime-ridden communities in which the members live.
(AFP with staff writer)
Photo: AFP
照片:法新社
今年的「開普頓吟遊詩人嘉年華會」吸引了多達兩萬五千名到三萬名表演者,組成超過四十五個歌舞團體共襄盛舉。表演者身穿色彩亮麗的服裝,載歌載舞,遊行穿過開普頓市中心。這場慶祝活動又稱為「第二次新年」,可追溯到開普殖民地廢除奴隸制度之前。當時,奴隸被允許在新年的第二天稍事休息。
在解放後,重獲自由的奴隸們組成舞蹈團體,一開始主要演奏歐洲音樂,後來發展出「克里奧爾」式、混合歐洲和當地音樂風格的曲目。
開普頓解放奴隸的新年慶祝活動深受美國的吟遊詩人樂團影響,後者起初是由白人表演者將臉塗黑,扮演非裔美國人。這些表演者穿著風格古怪的服飾,以及色彩鮮豔的燕尾服,模仿社會的上層階級。
Photo: AFP
照片:法新社
也因此,開普頓的吟遊詩人嘉年華會提醒這座城市曾經有過奴隸制度的過往,同時也提醒人們舞蹈與音樂作為頌揚自由的角色。
今日樂團的目標主要聚焦於營造社會凝聚感、讓年輕人參與活動,並且與文化連結,而這些大多數窮困而充斥犯罪的社區,正是成員們的居住地。
(台北時報章厚明譯)
A: Artificial intelligence technology has been causing controversy lately: a student was caught cheating with AI to win the grand prize in an art contest. B: That’s so absurd. Does this mean that AI paints better than humans? A: Maybe. Luckily, the student was later disqualified. B: And more absurdly, it’s becoming more and more popular to use AI technology to “resurrect” people. A: Yeah, some netizens even posted videos featuring the late singer CoCo Lee, who was “resurrected” by them with AI software. A: 人工智慧的爭議不斷,有學生違規使用AI參加美術展,甚至贏得首獎。 B: 真誇張,這是不是代表AI比人類還強大? A: 或許吧,幸好得獎資格被取消。 B: 還有更誇張的︰讓死者重現的「AI復活」技術越來越熱門。 A: 對啊,還有網友製作已故歌后李玟「復活」的影片呢! (By Eddy Chang, Taipei Times/台北時報張聖恩)
It’s no secret that Japanese people have a deep affection for noodles. Like in the rest of East Asia, noodles are an important staple food, second only to rice. Japanese people have enjoyed noodles for over 1,000 years. The first noodles came from China and were introduced around 800 CE. As time passed, noodles in Japan not only became widespread but also developed some unique Japanese characteristics. The three most popular types of noodles in Japan are ramen, soba, and udon. Ramen, typically made from wheat flour, is usually thin and firm. The dough is kneaded and left to
Rice is an essential ingredient in Taiwanese cuisine. Many foods are made of rice, adding more variety to our cooking, such as rice cake, or “gui.” Wagui is made by steaming rice flour batter in a bowl. The term “gui” refers to a type of food made from rice, while “wa” refers to a bowl. The pronunciation of “gui” in Taiwanese Hokkien is similar to the word for “nobility” in Chinese, so it is common for people to prepare various types of gui, including wagui, as offerings to the gods or ancestors,. 米是台灣重要的主食,用米製成的食品十分多元,豐富我們的飲食,如米做成的「粿」。粿的意思是米做成的糕點,碗粿是將在來米漿倒入碗中蒸熟,因而得名。粿因為音同「貴」,因此碗粿等粿食常用作供品祭拜神明和祖先。 nobility (n.) 高貴,高尚;貴族 offering (n.) 供品 While Taiwan may not be
Continued from yesterday(延續自昨日) https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang As with many aspects of Japanese culture, there is etiquette to follow when you enjoy noodles. To fully experience noodles like a local on your next visit to Japan, consider these simple guidelines. First, be careful where you put your chopsticks. Don’t leave them sticking up in the broth or set them at the side of the bowl. When you have finished eating or if you’re taking a break, place them on the chopstick rest next to the bowl. Also, it is impolite to wave chopsticks around or bring them above mouth-level. Second, don’t take too