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This series, from the archives of the Kennedy Center's Education Department, brings you a glimpse of the history and diversity of China's performing arts.
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This Week from China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts showcases the best-in-class musicianship of the orchestra of Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) and its affiliated programmes in choral music, traditional Chinese forms, opera, and more. With a focus on presenting familiar Western masterworks alongside new and traditional Chinese composers, Maestro Lv Jia and the NCPA Orchestra are sure to delight casual listeners and classical aficionados alike.
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Check out a wide range of fresh music coming out of Taiwan and learn more about the lyrics and background behind the band's inspiration. You don't have to understand Chinese to appreciate these awesome songs!
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Shen Yun Show in Arizona|Phoenix Orpheum Theatre|Mesa Arts Center|Ikeda Theater
Shen Yun Show in Arizona|Phoenix Orpheum Theatre|Mesa Arts Center|Ikeda Theater
Performing Arts |theater ticket|gift card|event|broadway|dance|music|orchestra|Maricopa
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Captivating, this word alone defines what it feels like when your senses go on a magical journey while you groove the sounds of D ROYY. Roy Restrepo, better known by his followers as D ROYY, was born in Bogota, Colombia of Chinese and Colombian descent. Music was instilled in his mind since birth as his older brother was a known guitarist in the Bogota Orchestra. However, guitars and strings were not what caught this artist attention. He only heard the drums. At the tender age of 10 he picke ...
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Emma Benack speaks with Taiwanese Australian musician and composer Matt Hsu, the leader of Matt Hsu's Obscure Orchestra. Matt works with a wide variety of instruments and natural sounds to create music that helps represent his cross-cultural upbringing. Emma and Matt talk about some of his music projects that have advocated for marginalized communi…
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Emma Benack speaks with Matt Hsu, a Taiwanese Australian composer who is the creator of Matt Hsu's Obscure Orchestra. Matt works with a wide variety of instruments and natural sounds to create music that helps represent his cross-cultural upbringing. Matt has created compositions alongside people of all different identities, according to their race…
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Emma Benack continues her conversation with The Last Minute Latin Band, one of the most popular Latin music bands in Taiwan. Band members Monica and Enzo talk about their hopes and plans for the band's future and continual growth. Take a listen to also hear the original versions of popular covers that the band performs, including music by artists l…
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Emma Benack speaks with one of the most popular Latin music bands in Taiwan called The Last Minute Latin Band, which has been around since 2016 playing a mix of Latin American pop, reggaeton, merengue, and lots of other Latin American music genres. The band's founder is Monica Sanchez who has made it in her mission in Taiwan to organize cultural ev…
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Emma Benack speaks with three members of Citymemo, a Taiwanese band that plays a mix of pop-punk and alternative rock and whose work includes a mix of group songs in Mandarin and solo music in English. The band talks about how they came together, the inspiration for some of their songs, speaking up for mental health, and future plans. To find out m…
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In the second half of this interview, Emma Benack speaks with American musician DC Rapier, who's been living in Taiwan for the past 32 years. DC has played in various blues groups throughout Taiwan and produced his own album, Feeling Fifteen Again. DC talks about how moving to Taiwan affected his opportunities as a blues musician and his future pla…
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Emma Benack speaks with DC Rapier, an American musician and retired English teacher who has lived in Taiwan for the past 32 years. DC has been making his own original music since he was 15 and also worked in Nashville for some time as a songwriter. DC talks about how he got some blues groups started in Taipei and how he went from playing covers to …
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On the last segment of her interview with Your Woman Sleep with Others, Emma benack asks the band about their plans to continue making music in the future. The group also discusses their anticipation for an international concert tour this year, a post-COVID first.
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In the second part of this interview, Emma Benack speaks with the band Your Woman Sleep with Others (老王樂隊) about their 2023 EP "Yellow House, Pink Blue Sky". The band members discuss the inspiration and meaning behind the lyrics and melodies, which take on a different sound than the group's earlier work. You can find out more about Your Woman Sleep…
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Emma Benack speaks with the band Your Woman Sleep with Others (老王樂隊) about how the different members came together to form a music group, what themes inspired their first EP and album, and what they think of the pressure young people experience in modern society. This episode also features several songs from the band's early career, including "Cram…
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Emma Benack continues her conversation with Gillian Aquino, also known as the artist Y ARA, about common themes in Filipino music, and what aspects she tries to express in her music today. Gillian also talks about the meaning behind her most popular song, "Be the One", which made it to Taiwan's Viral 50 list on Spotify. If you want to find out more…
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Emma Benack speaks with Gillian Aquino, also known as the artist Y ARA, about her growth as a musician from the Philippines to Taiwan. Gillian began performing as part of a duo back in 2015, and their first official single "Be the One" went on to make it on Taiwan's Viral 50 Spotify list, as well as several top iTunes charts across Southeast Asia. …
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Emma Benack speaks with two members of the band Eva Naatas, a group from Russia that has spread out across the world as a result of the war in Ukraine. The group plays a mix of modern progressive-metal, and is starting move on from recording covers of performers like Linkin Park and Calvin Harris to writing their own original music. Tune in to hear…
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In the final part of this interview, Emma speaks to the musical duo Nina & John, an American-Paiwanese couple, about the music scene on Taiwan's east coast. Nina and John live in Hualien, an eastern county that's known for its indigenous culture, which is visible in the local music performances. The band also talks about their weekly projects, as w…
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In the second part of this interview, Emma Benack speaks with the music duo Nina & John about how their environments growing up influenced the kind of music they play and the lyrics they write. The duo also talk about the challenges that come with pursing music as a full-time career. To find out more information about Nina & John, you can visit: ht…
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Emma Benack speaks with the duo Nina and John, an American-Paiwanese married couple who have been playing together for 5 years all over Taiwan. The first part of this interview covers their different music backgrounds growing up, how they became both band and life partners, as well as a few of their beautiful songs. To find out more information abo…
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Emma Benack speaks with Taiwanese musician Manu Chen about his development from a pianist to a music producer and his experiences working with musicians around the world and on live television for events like the Golden Horse Awards (similar to the Oscar's for the Taiwanese film industry).
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In the second half of this interview, Emma Benack speaks with Taiwanese bossa nova performer Aivee Hsu about the meaning behind some of the songs on her album "Blue Morning". Aivee also does a live performance in the radio station studio to show how the Portugese language flows with the style of bossa nova music.…
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Today’s episode features a music genre never explored before on this show: bossa nova. To understand the style of music a bit more, and what it takes to grow as a bossa nova performer in Taiwan, Emma Benack met with Aivee Hsu, a musician who grew up in Taipei and has been developing her own style of bossa nova music across a variety of languages.…
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During the second half of this interview, Emma Benack asks ethnomusicologist Dr. Meredith Schweig about common themes in early Taiwanese rap that reflected the younger generation's struggles. Dr. Schweig also analyzes how rap music has been used to draw young people's attention to political issues.
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Emma Benack speaks with ethnomusicology professor Dr. Meredith Schweig about the beginnings of rap music in Taiwan and how the songs share the voices of young Taiwanese people growing up in the late 90s to early 2000s.
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Christmas may have just passed, but that doesn't mean it's time to turn off the holiday classics yet. This episode brings you a mix of songs new and old (featuring artists like Bobby Helms, Andy Williams, Michael Buble, and Mariah Carey), to bring in the new year with the same excitement that comes with the arrival of the holiday season.…
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Taiwan has 16 officially recognized indigenous groups, many of which are famous for their captivating music. Young people from these groups have found a way to incorporate their mother tongue and traditional melodies along with elements of modern music to create many popular songs. This episode features songs by Suming, Abao, and others.…
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This episode is the second half of the segment celebrating female musicians who are popular in Taiwan. Finding success in the music industry is difficult enough, without considering the other obstacles female artists face in terms of gender inequality in a field that's heavily male-dominated and often phases out female stars as they age. This episo…
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This episode focuses on popular female artists in Taiwan and celebrates their successes in an industry that remains heavily male-dominated. The program features a mix of songs by 9m88, Astro Bunny, JiaJia, and Waawei.
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In the second half of this interview, Emma Benack talks with Thai singer-songwriter Numcha about her experience traveling to the city of Tainan for the music festival Lucfest. Later, Numcha describes the meaning behind some of her songs on the album "Bloom", as well as her future plans for her music career.…
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Emma Benack speaks with Thai singer-songwriter Numcha about her passion for music and how she developed her music career by working on her own before eventually signing with a major record label. This episode also features songs off Numcha's acclaimed 2022 album "Bloom".
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Emma Benack interviews Jun Markl, an award-winning German conductor about his experiences working with orchestras all over the world, and the challenges and triumphs he's encountered along the way.
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Next Wednesday Band (下週三樂團) is made up of three people who bonded over their connection with music: Chris, Sonic, and Iris. This interview explores how the band got started, why its members chose to quit their day jobs, what keeps them motivated, and what challenges the band faces. Next Wednesday Band is slowly working its way up from busking to pe…
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This episode is a continuation of last week's exploration of music by the all-girl, electronic trio Jade Eyes (孔雀眼). We'll take a listen to songs off some of their latest EPs, including one called Schrodinger's Call, a play on the concept of Schrodinger's Cat. The song marks the trio’s first completely independent release and unlocked creative free…
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The band Jade Eyes (孔雀眼) stands out in Taiwan's electronic music scene for being an all-girl trio. Their music mixes post-punk, new wave, and Deep House as well as elements from other genres. This episode explores their second album Addict, which was released in 2017 and nominated for multiple Golden Indie Music Awards. Addict is known for revolvin…
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Emma Benack speaks with ethnomusicologist and music professor Dr. Nancy Guy about the song "A Flower in the Rainy Night", which was released in 1934 and has been tied to several political campaigns throughout the decades that followed. What does this old song say about Taiwan and its political situation? Dr. Guy explains what makes this song so sig…
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Emma Benack shares more music by the Taiwanese-Korean artist Shi Shi off her album "Where is SHI?" Most songs on this album are accompanied by music videos, making it a visual album. Shi Shi wrote these songs after going through a dark phase in her life - although she had just won a Golden Melody Award, she felt like she still wasn't enough. This a…
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"Who is SHI?" is a critically acclaimed album by the Taiwanese-Korean artist Shi-Shi. The album mixes elements of jazz, pop, electronic music and more to create a collection that describes a dark phase in Shi Shi's life when her career was taking off, but she suffered from major emotional setbacks.
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In the second half of an interview with Freddy Lim, an independent Taiwanese legislator and frontman for the heavy metal band Chthonic, Mr. Lim talks about why music is an important force for getting young people involved in politics. He also discusses how growing up under martial law affected his taste in music, and how he got involved in the Sunf…
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Freddy Lim, an independent Taiwanese lawmaker and frontman for the heavy metal band Chthonic talks about the connection between music and politics throughout his life. This episode explores some of his music, as well as his interaction with Nancy Pelosi shortly before her controversial visit to Taiwan in August.…
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Taiwanese singer-songwriter Waa Wei (魏如萱) released her latest album "Have a Nice Day" in 2021, and its acclaim led to a nomination for Album of the Year at the Golden Melody Awards (Taiwan's version of the Grammys). The some of the album describes Waa Wei's journey into motherhood and the joy and challenges that come along with it. The album featur…
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The 2022 Golden Melody Awards Show was hosted back in July, but now it's time to take a look back and appreciate all the nominees. This week's playlist features some of the Song of the Year nominees, which include songs by Waa Wei, Namewee, Kimberley Chen, Tanya Chua, and EggPlantEgg. Take a listen and see if you can guess which song won the award!…
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Emma continues to share music off of Paiwanese R&B singer Abao's award-winning album kinakaian. By incorporating classic folk songs of the indigenous Paiwan people, celebrating their native language, and collaborating with other artists, Abao succeeds in spreading love and appreciation for her culture around the world.…
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Abao is a member of one of Taiwan indigenous groups, Paiwan, as well as a the winner of several Golden Melody Awards. Abao's music journey has ventured from Mandopop to eventually creating entire album in her mother tongue, the Paiwan language. Although this language is only understood by a small minority of Taiwan's population, her music and its h…
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Indie pop band The Fur. released a second album called "Serene Reminder" in 2020 that has been praised for developing stronger beats, rhythms, and lyrics after the release of its debut album "Town". The album ended up being the group's last project before splitting up in 2021. Due to the pandemic, this album never got the full performance tour that…
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Unusual for a Taiwanese band, The Fur. writes their songs only in English, with a sound that's meant to be "warm, fuzzy, and comforting" (hence the band's name). This episode (the first half of their feature) focuses on the band's debut album "Town", an album that helped the band's popularity take off, leading to tours around the world.…
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Emma takes a look back at all the new Taiwanese artists she's learned about over the past year that have been featured on the show and shares the songs that have stuck with her the most, in genres that range from pop, to rock, to alternative. THis week's playlist features songs by Your Woman Sleep with Others, Fire Ex, Cosmos People, and Tanya Chua…
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While Taiwan's music and industry trends have changed over time, there are some songs that last through the decades and generations. This week's playlist features some "oldies but goodies" by Michelle Pan, Yao Su-rong, Irene Yeh, Teresa Tung, and Tarcy Su.
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Electronic music is a major part of the modern industry today - however, going unplugged with acoustic-style music remains a classic favorite. This program's playlist features songs by Tanya Chua, Angry Youth, Your Woman Sleep with Others, and Fire Ex.
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Whether you're feeling the heat from the sweltering summer or Covid tensions, it can be nice to take a step back and relax a bit with some chill songs to get you in the right headspace. This playlist features songs by Cosmos People, I Mean Us, Fire Ex, and Angry Youth.
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Due to the pandemic, dance clubs may not be back in full swing in Taiwan, but this episode still celebrates fun Taiwanese music with fantastic beats to move a crowd. This episode features a mix of songs by bands like Your Woman Sleep with Others, Cosmos People, Astro Bunny, and Fire Ex.
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Taiwan may not be known as an international hub for electronic music, but over the past couple decades, Taiwanese artists have definitely started playing around with electronic beats, while adding some local flair. This electronic music mix features artists like I Mean Us, Pumpkinney Fan Club, Astro Bunny, and VH (Vast and Hazy).…
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Taiwanese music isn't just about the love ballads and Mandopop you might hear on the local radio station... the alt rock scene is buzzing here too! Check out this medley of songs by the bands Accusefive, Cosmos People, Fire Ex, and I Mean Us.
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On this second episode regarding Singaporean singer Tanya Chua's latest album Depart, listen to the change in her music from thirteen years ago. Later, hear some of her newest hits, including a duet with a French-Italian celebrity, and see how this album is gearing up for July's Golden Melody Awards.…
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