Yesterday’s opening of the Taipei Music Center (TMC) marked a “big day” for the nation’s popular music industry, President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said.
“Over the past few decades, Taiwan has been the center of Mandarin pop music,” Tsai said at an opening ceremony at the center in Nangang District (南港).
To workers who have been involved in the construction, Tsai said: “You have not just built a building, you have built the future of Taiwanese pop music.”
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many musical artists have seen their performances canceled or their income fall, she said.
“The opening of the TMC means that Taiwanese pop music is about to restart,” Tsai said, adding that fans from across the nation should support their favorite artists by attending concerts at the center.
Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te (李永得) and center chairwoman Kay Huang (黃韻玲) also attended the ceremony.
“In everyone’s mind, there are some familiar songs. This is the magic of pop music,” Ko said.
“We hope Taiwan’s music talent can gather at the center, and make this a temple of Asian pop music,” Ko added.
“Culture is the soul of a nation,” Su said, adding that the Ministry of Culture’s budget has seen a “rapid increase” since Tsai took office in 2016.
“We look forward to this place to give performers a stage for them to play wonderful music,” he said.
The center features a performance hall that can accommodate up to 6,000 people, exhibition spaces, facilities for rehearsal and music education, and an outdoor performance space for up to 3,000 people, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the Maritime Cultural & Popular Music Center in Kaohsiung is also expected to celebrate its opening this year, the ministry said.
The TMC is to hold two opening performances, themed “Hi! TMC is opening”, on Saturday next week.
A free concert featuring Boon Hui Lu (文慧如), Accusefive (告五人), PiHai Ryan (屁孩 Ryan), Karencici (林愷倫), Lou Jun-shuo (婁峻碩) and Murmurshow (慢慢說) is to be held from 3pm to 5pm at the center’s outdoor performance space, according to the center’s Web site.
From 7pm to 9pm, a ticketed concert is to be held in the performance hall, featuring singers Lala Hsu (徐佳瑩) and Waa Wei (魏如萱), and the band Oaeen (魚丁糸), it said.
Tickets to the concert are priced NT$699 to NT$1,099 and can be purchased through a link on the center’s Web site.
The ceremony for the 31st Golden Melody Awards is also scheduled to be held at the center on Oct. 3, according to the awards’ Web site.
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