Blues in Asia? Its future...
Hi,
I thought I'd move that topic for discussion to this area. It's one that I hope will generate a lot of conversation. Like Scot said in a post about Blues in Asia 'It's a natural.' or words to that effect, anyway.
In Taiwan, there is a group of people called Hakka- the 'Guest People' who were nomadic, many were subsistence fishermen - which lived on the fringes of main-stream Han culture. They have their own music style which resonates in concert with the sound of the Blues. My band, BoPoMoFo have shared the stage with a couple of Hakka performers who have commented on how much their music and the Blues have in common.
Another Blues ensemble, David Chen and the Muddy Basin Ramblers, have worked closely with a number of Hakka musicians. I'd like to invite David to tell us about his experiences.
There are also several tribes of indigenous, aboriginal people who also have their own musical culture on Taiwan. A member of the Paiwan tribe, goes by the English name 'Stevie' formed a Texas Blues trio called 'Black Sheep'. He has said that when he heard the Blues the first time, the sounds were like old friends to him, familiar and inviting.
I thought I'd move that topic for discussion to this area. It's one that I hope will generate a lot of conversation. Like Scot said in a post about Blues in Asia 'It's a natural.' or words to that effect, anyway.
In Taiwan, there is a group of people called Hakka- the 'Guest People' who were nomadic, many were subsistence fishermen - which lived on the fringes of main-stream Han culture. They have their own music style which resonates in concert with the sound of the Blues. My band, BoPoMoFo have shared the stage with a couple of Hakka performers who have commented on how much their music and the Blues have in common.
Another Blues ensemble, David Chen and the Muddy Basin Ramblers, have worked closely with a number of Hakka musicians. I'd like to invite David to tell us about his experiences.
There are also several tribes of indigenous, aboriginal people who also have their own musical culture on Taiwan. A member of the Paiwan tribe, goes by the English name 'Stevie' formed a Texas Blues trio called 'Black Sheep'. He has said that when he heard the Blues the first time, the sounds were like old friends to him, familiar and inviting.
Tags: Asia, Blues, Hakka, Taiwan
Views: 15
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by scott gold on -
DC,
it is easy - and sometimes a mistake i often make despite my knowing better - to lump Asia into one category. it's also silly for me to try to think of a strict definition of the blues.
with respect to the former issue, i can talk about some places i've been and what i've seen. on Guam - where i lived for 10 years, despite the place and population being small (about 200 sq. miles and 150,000 or so people), music is loved - and there are some terrfiic musicans out there. Guam does have a blues band (Deep Pacific Blues - nee: the Blues Scholars) and a couple of local radio programs (Blue Monday Micronesia and After Hours Juke Joint - both on 89.3 fm, public radio for Guam). so the torch is carried out there.
(you can hear some examples fo the blues scholars here (go to MUSIC section):
http://web.me.com/scottgold2
the band was/is made up of locals, japanese, haoles, and whoever washes up on shore. it's part of what i loved about being there on Guam and playing with those guys.
here in Tokyo / Japan,home of Sony, music is a HUGE industry. the Japanese take their music very seriously - they get into the details. they love jazz and blues, but like everywhere else, the crowds get smaller each year. the reasons are the same as why this is in the USA - too much competition for newer, more "relevant" styles/genres. not that unusual really.
there are quite a number of blues clubs here in Tokyo - lots of live houses, and some acts out fo the USA do come here. so, there is a decent scene.
back to where we started. . . . . the reason i said that the blues is a "natural" (or words to that effect), is that every country and everybody gets the blues somehow, someway, and this 9 times out of 10 gets laid down in some music. local folk songs can often be loosely structured like the blues structure you and i grew up with - and the topics are often the same - pain is an equal opportunity employer.
here is an interesting example i'd like to share. i have a client i am working on a house for - very cool guy - American who grew up in and lives in Okinawa - Byron Jones. he took up the, known in Japan as the shamisen (and to us as a banjo). he is one of the most popular folk singers there - playing and singing traditional Okinawan folk songs. i listen to his songs, and man, i gotta say, if this ain't the blues, then i don't know what is!
here is some info and a short example:
http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=3554
http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=HVQ_4_oNM2c
i'd love to hear what goes on in Taiwan and other Asian nations.
best!
-sg
tokyo -
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Permalink Reply by DC Rapier on -
Blues is a natural.
About 2 years ago I saw Shun Kikuta playing in ensemble with a shamizen player and other traditional Japanese instruments (flutes, persussion, etc) and they were playing Blues - not exactly the Blues of the Mississippi Delta, but a hybrid Blues.
Here in Taiwan, there's a very minority group called the Hakkas who are very musical and have a distinctly 'Bluesy' songform. There's a jug band here called David Chen & the Muddy Basin Ramblers who have shared the stage and jammed with Hakka musicians and another Blues hybrid comes into being. These hybrids might be short-lived and subsumed into pop or folk but the influence is felt and it goes both ways.
Blues on,
DC -
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Permalink Reply by Willard Capen on -
Well The Snowman is keeping the Blues alive in Pattaya, Thailand at the Blues Factory on Walking street. Mary also puts out a lot of energy when she preforms. Don,t miss them if you do get to Thailand.This is not a commercial . I have no connection with them or the Club. Just like to hear and see good Blues musicians preform.
Also got to see a group called Peter Driscoll and the Cruisers at the 4th of July Celebration in Bangkok. He is keeping the old Rock and Roll alive. Songs from the 50s and early 60s. I call it ----Pre Beattle music. Little Richard stuff as well as some older blues set to a Rocking Beat. Ahla Early Elvis. -
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Permalink Reply by Willard Capen on
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Just to add to this comment. Music is a common demoninator for basic communication. Starting with the tempo or beat as a means to establish an inner feeling of timing along with a strong basic chord structure such as 8 and 12 beat "Blues" . Voicing/Melody then becomes the sense of the inner self expressing thoughts and expressions. Happy, Sad, and all of the other feeling can be felt as the nusicians play. I like to listen to the whole band/group and how they compliment each other as well as add support to the individual soloists. Just my thoughts.
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Permalink Reply by guy brisebois on -
Wow thats cool,can i use this topic on my show,thank you very much,for the information.
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Permalink Reply by Willard Capen on
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Thanks. I do not know where that thought came from. Just was on my mind at the time and how I feel when I get to play. I love music. I am now in the process of helping a Thai musician and his team put together a demo for learning Thai/English through Music and Lyrics.Never been done before for adults that I know of. I do know an English teacher here in Thailand that had 900 of his students singing "Tomorrow" at the closing ceremonies. Quite an experience. Oh and in the local market a little asian boy and his mother singing "Yankee Doodle" must be a learning song in the lower grades to help learn English.
Please feel free to piggyback on this topic and use my comment. Kudos where necessary. -
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