Daniel Pearl would have been 50 years old this month. The young reporter, also an accomplished musician, met his gruesome end in 2002 in Pakistan at the hands of Al-Qaeda extremists. But that same year, an event was staged that focused not on the tragic circumstances of his death, but instead on Pearl’s remarkable life.
Sean Scanlan, a journalist himself here in Taipei and a 15-year resident of Taiwan, has deep ties to that event, Daniel Pearl World Music Day. His sister helped organize the very first concert at Pearl’s high school in Los Angeles, and Scanlan has been organizing the Taipei edition of the festivities since its inception.
A lifelong fan of music, at times music reporter and off-and-on concert promoter, Scanlan has been putting on shows here and there since his college days in his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. He got his start organizing a gig for one-time alt rock superstars Soul Asylum, and had to quickly learn the ins and outs of dealing with bands, labels, and management at a professional level.
Photo courtesy of Suming
Wading through the logistics of Daniel Pearl World Music Day is a more casual endeavor, though no less time consuming. There are no show fees to negotiate, no big egos to placate. This is a show that comes from a more altruistic place for Scanlan, who has seen the event grow from a basement bar affair to the outdoor, multi-stage, all-day concert it has become.
“I had a lot of friends who had bands, and their families could never see them play,” Scanlan says of the concert’s origins and subsequent evolution in his relaxed, laid-back manner. “There’s no way you can take your wife and your kid to a club at midnight. That was one reason to do a show outdoors in a setting where anybody can enjoy it. Your grandmother could come.”
Like many, Scanlan’s love of music can be traced back to his teen years, though he still has a hard time pinning it down to any one source. It was then that he realized how broad and powerful the pull of music could be, spanning generations and all strata of society. Scanlan’s thoughts pinball from one corner of his mind to another, his explanations often turning into somewhat of a ramble, but the one thing that always comes through loud and clear is his passion for music.
“I went to see a Replacements show when I was 15, and my high school teachers were in the audience. I was in the mosh pit getting slammed by my Latin teacher, and every dude there was like a football player, man. Just the roughest goddamn crowd. I’ve always been interested in music, I don’t know why.”
One of the goals for Scanlan in doing Daniel Pearl World Music Day is to bring together people of different cultures and tastes in music, a mission reflected in this year’s eclectic lineup. Amongst the groups playing this year are local ska favorites Mary Bites Kerry (瑪莉咬凱利), funk ensemble Funky Brothers (放客兄弟), fast-rising 70s-inspired rock band Formosa Romance (寶島羅曼斯), blues act Bopomofo (ㄅㄆㄇㄈ), and event headliner Suming (舒米恩), who is also the main songwriter for the 2011 Hohaiyan Rock Festival (貢寮國際海洋音樂祭) champs Totem (圖騰樂團). Afro-Caribbean troupe Pan Africana (泛非文化樂團) will also be on hand, an important addition to the festivities for Scanlan, who points out music’s African origins. Another highlight is Aboriginal sitar player Uzi Azer, who will accompany singer Ya Chun San (雅淳桑). To Scanlan, the lineup is an extension of what he learned at that Replacements show a couple of decades back. Music has the power to cross any and all boundaries.
“Music, at some level, it can transcend different cultures,” he says. “You can be an Arab kid, Spanish kid, Chinese kid. It doesn’t matter. Music might be the only thing that ... they say is ecumenical.”
Two stages will be set up this year for Daniel Pearl World Music Day, the World Stage and the Rock Stage, with acts alternating time slots on each. This means fans won’t have to make any difficult calls about which bands to see, while also ensuring a quick transition between acts. In all, 14 bands will perform throughout the day and evening, and around the world an estimated 10,000 performances in 129 countries will be taking place. It’s all in support of an organization called Harmony for Humanity, a group that seeks to promote a message of racial tolerance and peace.
The full day of music of all makes and measures will end in a closing jam, a chance for all the musicians to get up on stage and create something together. It’s an opportunity to make a statement of unity in a world where at times it seems as though people would rather find reasons to build up divisions than break down whatever walls might be between them. It might seem simplistic to say that music is the answer to such a daunting and widespread problem, but you have to start somewhere.
“Once you play music together, you become friends,” says Scanlan. “That’s one part of the power of music.”
■ Daniel Pearl World Music Day (丹尼一日音樂節) takes place tomorrow at the Taipei City Hakka Cultural Park (客家文化主題公園舉辦), located at the intersection of Shida Road (師大路) and Dinzhou Road (汀州路), not far from Exit 5 of the Taipower Building MRT Station (台電大樓捷運站). The music starts at 2:30pm, with the final jam kicking off at 9pm. Free admission.
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