Celebrating 50 Years of Taiwanese Folk Songs: “Echoes of Folk Songs” Concert Continues Classic Heritage

The 6th “Folk Song Resonance Sustainable Inheritance” concert in the Golden Mountain Bay Area was held at the Nanwan Overseas Chinese Education Center on the 8th (last Saturday), attracting over five hundred attendees. The classic campus folk songs awakened memories of youth throughout the venue, with applause filling the air. When the encore music started playing, the whole audience stood up to sing along, elevating the atmosphere to a climax.

The folk song concert was organized by the California Line Dance Association of the United States, co-sponsored by J&T Family Foundation, Future Vision Foundation, Chen Runwu, and Paul & Annie Tsai. Director Lai Mingqi and his wife Yun Wenzhen from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, Director Zhuang Yashu of the Overseas Chinese Education Center, as well as Overseas Chinese Affairs Commissioner Wu Yiming and his wife attended the concert.

On that day, acclaimed as the “Father of Folk Songs,” Yang Xian, “Mother of Folk Songs” Tao Xiaoqing, and renowned folk singers Li Jianfu, Hou Dejian, Ye Jiaxiu, etc., all sent blessings through video recordings, witnessing this grand event together. The live accompaniment was performed by the well-known local band.

The concert kicked off warmly with Yun Wenzhen singing “Returning to Sand City,” “Visiting Spring,” and “By Chance,” followed by performances from several talented singers in the Bay Area, singing over twenty classic campus folk songs, including “Sunset Accompanying Me Home,” “Autumn Cicada,” “Closing Film,” “Moon Qin,” “Olive Tree,” “Fishing Song,” and “Stay up Late,” leading the audience to relive youthful memories.

As the concert approached its end, the singers joined in a chorus for “Country Lane” and “Grandma’s Penghu Bay,” with the audience waving their phones, singing along in unison, creating a lively atmosphere. When the encore songs “Small Grass” and “Energetic, Energetic” played, the whole audience burst into enthusiastic singing, standing up and joining in, bringing the event to its climax and marking a perfect conclusion.

The organizer Huang Benchu expressed that folk songs witness our youthful years, becoming the most beautiful memories. He specially thanked the singers and musicians for meticulously preparing for half a year to bring everyone an unforgettable musical experience. In conclusion, he encouraged everyone to join the California Line Dance Association, allowing music to accompany exercise and enjoy a healthy life.

The founder of the California Line Dance Association, Lin Gui Xiang, thanked everyone for their joint efforts in making the concert a success. She emphasized that folk songs carry memories of youth and have been passed down for over fifty years. The tickets for the “Folk Songs 50” concert held in Taipei this year sold out instantly, illustrating its profound influence. Today in the Bay Area, everyone through music relives the good times and collectively inherits this precious cultural heritage.

Lai Mingqi briefly expressed his blessings, congratulating everyone on International Women’s Day and pre-wishing the event a complete success, earning enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Director Zhuang Yashu said in her speech that folk songs are our common memories and language, thanking Lin Gui Xiang, the co-organizers, and Huang Benchu for making this grand event possible.

One highlight of the concert was the fantastic commentary by the host, Su Xinyuan. She intricately analyzed the lyrics, compositions, historical anecdotes, and background of folk songs, providing vivid comments and insightful interpretations, making the story of each song more vivid. With a humorous and witty style, she added much joy to the event.

Su Xinyuan revealed to Epoch Times that she dedicated a lot of time to research and prepare for hosting the event for over two months, hoping that the audience could not only come to listen to songs but also understand the historical context and influence of folk songs. She stressed that the emergence of folk songs is crucial to Chinese pop music, with many folk singers later becoming producers behind the scenes of record companies, driving the development of the music industry. She bluntly stated, “Without the development of folk songs, there wouldn’t be Jay Chou, Mayday, A-Mei.” Folk songs paved the way for Chinese musicians to create indigenous songs and became a pivotal turning point in Chinese pop music.

As the concert concluded, the audience’s enthusiasm showed no signs of waning, lingering in the reverie of memories, unwilling to leave. Chen Andong emotionally told Epoch Times, “I’m almost in tears.” These sunny and uplifting folk songs always remind him of the wonderful times during his student days when he would go on outings, play the guitar, and sing with classmates. He said that every time he attends a folk song concert and relives these melodies, it is a precious reminiscence, as if time is flowing backward, making the youthful years vivid again.

Lin Xiuchun excitedly shared with Epoch Times that she sings along to every song, her voice becoming hoarse, making it a “fantastic experience.”

Ms. Zheng, who attended the concert, exclaimed, “Next year and the following years will surely be even more moving because as time passes, these songs will take us back to more distant and youthful times.”

Zhang Zhibin expressed his gratitude for being able to join so many like-minded friends of similar age in the Bay Area, singing together and reliving the past, a particularly touching moment.

The Bay Area singing talent, Sa Huizhen, mentioned that this was her sixth time participating in a folk song concert, and this time was particularly successful. Despite limited rehearsal time, the overall coordination, harmony, and stage atmosphere were outstanding, and each singer’s performance reached a high standard. Additionally, the excellent hosting by Su Xinyuan added more highlights to the performance.

Bay Area singing talent, Chen Fengling, emotionally said that folk songs are not just music but also carry the memories of Chinese, especially Taiwanese, youth. Their lyrics authentically reflect emotions, dreams, and values of life, making them particularly meaningful. Each song is a precious imprint of a generation’s growth years, evoking countless memories and resonances. ◇