SARS may have everyone leaving town for the hills, but at least one group of people are taking a 5,000-watt JBL sound system with them. The folks at Chi-Funk have been putting parties in the great outdoors for some four years now and they continue the tradition with tomorrow night's Re-V-Evolution at Tashan, outside Taichung.
The verdant venue sits in the middle of a fruit orchard with a river and several streams for swimming -- if you can find the time for it. The organizers are filling the roster with a variety of things to see and hear from sunset to sunrise.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHI-FUNK
"This is the first time for us to have a capoeira performance. We're pretty excited about that," said Chi-Funk's RainboWarrior, who will take to the turntables at 4am. Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that incorporates hand drums and looks more like a dance.
"We're also having the Smoking Cones' rap and hip-hop act come in at around midnight," he added.
In addition to RainboWarrior, other turntablists include DJ Tom, Alix D, DJ BhereNow and Saucey, one of Taipei's favorite funky house and break-beat DJs from Canada, who will go on some time near the witching hour.
The folks at Chi-Funk are also promising an appearance by Bar King Bob, who is currently organizing an Asian tour for Fat Boy Slim's group, Big Beat Boutique. He'll take a break from the tour in Japan to spin tribal sounds in the jungle.
Other attractions lined up for the evening are: Tribalizer, a group that includes drums, didgeridoo and a DJ, the Samadhi Dance Crew, who wowed crowds at the Kenting Spring Weekend last month; and VJ.S&P, who'll be projecting visuals on a massive screen set against a bamboo forest.
Organizers say there will be plenty of places to chill-out in the bamboo grove, as well as several other areas set aside for lounging. A free campsite will also be available for anyone who wants to stay the night.
Performance Notes:
Tickets for the event cost NT$500 and are available at the gate. Rides and guides to the venue will be available at SoundGarden in Taichung, or you can check out the Re-V-Evolution Web site at http://www.revevolution.com/rootz.htm for transportation information.
For many people, Bilingual Nation 2030 begins and ends in the classroom. Since the policy was launched in 2018, the debate has centered on students, teachers and the pressure placed on schools. Yet the policy was never solely about English education. The government’s official plan also calls for bilingualization in Taiwan’s government services, laws and regulations, and living environment. The goal is to make Taiwan more inclusive and accessible to international enterprises and talent and better prepared for global economic and trade conditions. After eight years, that grand vision is due for a pulse check. RULES THAT CAN BE READ For Harper Chen (陳虹宇), an adviser
Traditionally, indigenous people in Taiwan’s mountains practice swidden cultivation, or “slash and burn” agriculture, a practice common in human history. According to a 2016 research article in the International Journal of Environmental Sustainability, among the Atayal people, this began with a search for suitable forested slopeland. The trees are burnt for fertilizer and the land cleared of stones. The stones and wood are then piled up to make fences, while both dead and standing trees are retained on the plot. The fences are used to grow climbing crops like squash and beans. The plot itself supports farming for three years.
President William Lai (賴清德) on Nov. 25 last year announced in a Washington Post op-ed that “my government will introduce a historic US$40 billion supplementary defense budget, an investment that underscores our commitment to defending Taiwan’s democracy.” Lai promised “significant new arms acquisitions from the United States” and to “invest in cutting-edge technologies and expand Taiwan’s defense industrial base,” to “bolster deterrence by inserting greater costs and uncertainties into Beijing’s decision-making on the use of force.” Announcing it in the Washington Post was a strategic gamble, both geopolitically and domestically, with Taiwan’s international credibility at stake. But Lai’s message was exactly
May 4 to May 10 It was once said that if you hadn’t performed at the Sapphire Grand Cabaret (藍寶石大歌廳), you couldn’t truly be considered a star. Taking the stage at the legendary Kaohsiung club was more than just a concert. Performers were expected to entertain in every sense, wearing outlandish or revealing costumes and staying quick on their feet as sharp-tongued, over-the-top hosts asked questions and delivered jokes that would be seen as vulgar, even offensive, by today’s standards. Opening in May 1967 during a period of strict political and social control, Sapphire offered a rare outlet for audiences in