Sounds & Sights of Silva - The Waves Returns
Crashing From Shore to Shore
For the first time in four years, Taiwanese Waves took over Central Park Summerstage for a showcase of some of the most promising music from Taiwan. The atmosphere was not entirely unlike any given night market stroll or evening at a cultural park in Taipei – clearly the Taiwanese community exists everywhere and shows unwavering support for their own peers.
Music by Golden Melody Awards nominees, food by incredible NYC-based Taiwanese restaurants 886 and Wen Wen, Sunset Rollercoaster hats and socks, Taiwan #1 baseball jerseys given out by the New York Mets last summer during a promotion… it was the full Taiwanese experience and I’m glad this institution is back and hope it runs for as many 八月 as possible.
From the polluted banks of the Hudson to the rocky shores of Taipei…
Just as the Waves made its triumphant return, I returned to the place where I’ve spent most of the last two years, but this time as the first stop on a greater journey. A short layover in Taipei was a reset, re-familiarizing myself with the convenience of life in Asia that I’ve become accustomed to while traveling in recent months.
The shift in perspective really has made me think about what I care most about in my life by relating it to what matters most to the people in the places I visit. And music discovery has been a big part of it! The music communities throughout Asia are so tight-knit and collaborative – as someone who has been welcomed by those artists and labels and venues, I sense how meaningful it is to everyone here to have these spaces in their worlds.
I will do my best to use this newsletter to spotlight those scenes and share their stories with my readers. This newsletter will serve as a travel log as I visit many new places throughout Asia this fall, including (but not limited to) Taiwan, China, Inner Mongolia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
The Dinosaur’s Skin - 《In My Dreams (You’re Not Extinct)》
The Dinosaur’s Skin began what would be an evening full of charming performances. Two dinosaurs who traveled to the future to find their peers, only to be devastated by the state of their species’ extinction and write indie pop lamentations to cope. It’s silly, it’s catchy, it’s fantastic in a way only Taiwanese music can really achieve.
waa wei - 《買你》
As a performer, waa wei knows how to work a crowd. And as a radio DJ and media personality, waa wei knows how to draw from a breadth of genres and musical knowledge to write perfect pop songs. As a result, her concerts are delightful.
No Party for Cao Dong - 《缸》
The most exciting up-and-coming rock group from Taiwan, in my humble opinion. There is so much emotion pulsing in these songs – it’s unfiltered and powerful.
Jay Chou -《愛我，別走》
A Chinese-language karaoke classic. When I tell you the crowd went crazy when the warm-up DJ started spinning Mando-pop hits… video below to see for yourself.
Follow the full playlist of Sounds of Silva featured tracks.
Listen to Zach’s radio show archive for Friend From A Big City on Deadbeat Radio.
[Zach 2023 Travel Log #1]