Jazz in Taiwan
Patrick Lin
Image Credits: © Leonardo Schiavone
May 04, 2017
WiJazz is, at the moment, the only magazine representing the thriving Taiwanese jazz community. We went to Taichung to interview the director and publisher, Patrick Lin.
> Iug Mirti; special thanks to 江玉芳.
WiJazz is a very recent project: how did the idea arise?
Sixteen years ago, more or less, when I started to listen to jazz music, I was a reader of the only Taiwanese jazz magazine, named City Swing, that unfortunately closed down. By considering that the island jazz scene has become, in the meanwhile, richer and more significant, I deemed it important to support it with a new magazine.
Which are the three jazz musicians or Taiwanese jazz groups you think that are particularly representative and you would suggest to listen to?
The Sizhukong, because they not only play jazz with western instruments but also use eastern tradition instruments; Ming Yen Terry Shieh, because he studied in Europe and this is the feature making him different from the many musicians who have studied in the US, and also because he has cooperated with a lot of musicians, not only in the jazz field. In Taiwan, moreover, there are also people loving fusion, and among the best groups we find the Timeless Fusion Party, that have recorded a lot of records and performed in a tour in China in 2016.
Do you think that, in the next years, jazz popularity will increase in Taiwan?
Judging from the last years and from the increase in the number of good musicians and high level concerts, I think that it is very probable that this music will become more popular among a larger audience.
Which aim did you set when you founded WiJazz?
As the magazine is written in Chinese, to become the reference for the Taiwan jazz community but also for readers in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore.
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