Taiwanese general stores have become a hit in France after one appeared on the cover of Estelle Perrault’s (張婷雅) new Taiwan-themed jazz album.
“I am not trying to represent the Taiwanese people, but rather trying to relate to them,” she said.
Perrault was raised in Kaohsiung and moved to France when she was six years old. She returned to Taiwan at 18 to study law and play in bands, before returning to France and being scouted by a record company.
Photo: CNA
She recently released her third album in France, with designs, styles and lyrics featuring Taiwanese elements.
The album’s cover photo was taken in a general store that also doubles as a tailor’s store in her hometown.
Perrault said she chose the location as a tribute to her grandmother, who made clothes for a living, adding that her Taiwanese family continues to inspire her songs, even from afar.
She said she is also currently working on a single dedicated to her grandfather.
Speaking about their relationship and his passing, Perrault could not help but choke up and shed tears.
Another source of inspiration is her identity and experience as a French-Taiwanese, exemplified by her single I Know You Wish, in which she sings about struggling to fit in because of her upbringing.
“I hope my listeners can resonate with me, and find their stories within my songs,” Perrault said.
Perrault said that she worries about people seeing her as a French person and criticizing her for not speaking Mandarin fluently.
“I cannot change the fact that I am French-Taiwanese, but that does not affect my love for Taiwan,” she said.
The back of the album features a flag commonly referred to as the “Blue Ground Yellow Tiger Flag,” which was the flag of the Republic of Formosa — a short-lived republic established by Taiwanese gentry in 1895 to resist Japanese rule.
Perrault said she wants French people to ask her about the flag, so that she has the chance to tell them its story.
She also thinks it is a shame how little Taiwanese know about the story of their land.
“We are Taiwanese. We have our roots, yet the books rarely talk about our own history,” she said.
As the French public becomes more aware of the threat Taiwan faces from China, Perrault said she talks about Taiwan’s identity and democracy on shows and in interviews whenever there is a chance.
Perrault said that while her record company fully supports incorporating Taiwanese elements in her album, some Taiwanese worry she might lose the Chinese market or tell her to “stop saying so much.”
Some people also label her as leaning toward certain Taiwanese political parties, to which Perrault says she just wants Taiwan to remain free and democratic under its own governance.
“I follow what my heart says is true, not the market,” she said.
NATIONAL SECURITY: Authorities are working to confirm the identities of the military personnel involved and investigating possible illegal conduct and regulatory violations Authorities are probing possible national security implications after Kinmen police and immigration officers on Sunday found a Chinese woman allegedly posing as a tourist while engaging in prostitution involving more than 10 military personnel. The woman, surnamed Chen (陳), has since been deported, authorities said, adding that investigators are still working to confirm the identities of those implicated, as the records only listed code names and aliases. The case stemmed from a report received by the Kinmen District Prosecutors’ Office on Friday last week from the Jinhu Precinct of the Kinmen County Police Bureau. On Sunday, police, along with the National Immigration
GLOBALGIVING: ‘ Caving to external pressure is not acceptable for an organization that has cultivated justice reform and human rights for 30 years,’ one NGO said A slew of non-government organizations (NGOs) have withdrawn from the GlobalGiving fundraising platform after it announced it would use “Chinese Taipei” instead of “Taiwan” from next month. The Taiwan Good Rice Association wrote on Facebook on Friday that it was informed on April 28 via a teleconference call of the change, which was made because the platform wanted to operate in China. Taiwan Good Rice is to terminate all cooperative relationships with GlobalGiving in response to the platform’s “unilateral and non-negotiable” decision to remove references to Taiwan, the NGO said. “Taiwan is in the official name of Taiwan Good Rice Association and the
HEAVY WEATHER: Typhoon Jangmi is due to crash straight into the Ryukyus as airlines look to shift flights to larger aircraft or cancel flights to Okinawa entirely Taiwan’s international air carriers announced flight adjustments over the weekend as Typhoon Jangmi is forecast to hit the Ryukyu Islands today and tomorrow. The Central Weather Administration (CWA) upgraded Jangmi from a tropical storm to a typhoon at 8am yesterday, with the eye located 580km south of Naha city. It was moving north at 19kph. Today, China Airlines’ CI-120, CI-121, CI-122 and CI-123 flights between Taoyuan and Naha, Okinawa, have been canceled as well as CI-132 and CI-133 between Kaohsiung and Naha. EVA Air’s BR-112, BR-113, BR-186 and BR-185 flights between Taoyuan and Naha are also canceled. Low-cost carrier Tigerair Taiwan canceled IT-230,
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday briefed her party’s Central Standing Committee regarding her scheduled visit to the US between Monday next week and June 16, saying that her purpose would be to persuade the US that the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution was a “one China” constitution that would foster stable and peaceful cross-strait relations. The ROC Constitution is the most important defense for all Taiwanese citizens, as it upholds our democracy and has contributed to our robust economy, which aligns with international and US interests, she said. “We would not be troublemakers and drag the US under,”
RSS