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P A G E 1 6 TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2009

Not everyone agrees with the Golden Melody Awards’ language-based categories

by Ho Yi Staff reporter

the 20th Golden Melody Awards (第二 十屆金曲 a once-a-year ritual at which Hakka musicians feel as “An award is not like sports where the winner is 獎) that took place at (台北巨蛋) on out of place as aliens.” decided at the click of a stopwatch,” Ma At Saturday night, pop sensation (周杰倫) Suggestions for improving the Golden Melody said. “There is no such thing as a completely took home the Best Mandarin Male Singe, Best Song and Awards include changing the competition’s language- fair and objective result. It’s always a Best Music Video awards. Crowd Lu (盧廣仲), a young pop based classifications to a genre-based system. compromise reached among different star on the rise, received top honors in the Best New- “People still have a limited perception of how opinions. I am fine with these changes as comer and Best Composer categories for his debut album Mandarin, Taiwanese and Hakka music should be. long as … the jury committee is independent 100 Ways of Living (100種生活). They can’t imagine Hakka music as of governmental officers, record The Nanwan Sisters (南王姐妹花), rock ’n’ roll or electronica,” Liu said. companies and sales figures.” a trio of Puyuma (卑南) singers from “I am all for genre classification. It’s Chen Le-jung (陳樂融), convener of Taitung won the Best Aboriginal Album an ideal. Actual changes will come this year’s jury panel, welcomed changes Award, and, much to their surprise, beat when people have more understanding to the award system. out pop groups such as Da Mouth (大嘴 about music.” “The jury has been off limits to those 巴) to win best singing group as well. To Ma Shih-fang (馬世芳), music artists and professionals in related fields The Taipei Times caught up with critic and a Golden Melody jury who participate in nominated works. That some of the winners and jury members member, there is no doubt that the proviso may be lifted if the jury is expanded backstage to ask their views about the awards should focus on music rather and no individual judge is powerful enough to awards. political or linguistic agendas. influence the results. This way, those who are active Award-winning Pau-dull (陳建年) “I like the comparison of the in the industry can express their ideas and people will said the Nanwan’s Sisters’ eponymous Golden Melody to baseball made by stop saying that the Golden Melody Awards judges are album, for which he picked up Best Lin Sheng-xiang (林生祥). For baseball, a bunch of has-beens,” Chen said. Album Producer Award, took two we have the best player of the year, years to complete at his home on but not the best Hakka or Aboriginal Orchid Island (Lanyu, 蘭嶼) and a player,” Ma said. “I understand that makeshift recording studio in Taitung. the Government Information Office The recording sessions usually began (GIO, 新聞局) sets the language-based The Nanwan Sisters. photo: taipei times around 10pm, after the three Sisters, all categories as a means to encourage mothers, put their children to bed. native-language music. But does the “I am just an amateur, making music the way I like,” policy work? The government-funded event is innately said the Puyuma musician. “I often ask myself: what is awkward. On the one hand, it pop music? Are the songs in my tribe not pop music? I provides entertainment value feel that it doesn’t matter as long as it’s music people and effect. On the other, love to hear. For this it is closely connected to album, I didn’t attempt national policies.” to make pop or convey In a bid to enhance the cultural messages. I competition’s credibility wanted to document the and impartiality, starting three sisters’ voices.” this year the judging process Pau-dull said that if has been divided into two he produces another sections: a preliminary round, with Aboriginal album, he 40 judges, followed by the final wants to find a person stage, with 19 judges, 15 of whom who loves to sing rather served in the first section. than one who knows how to sing beautifully, “like an Aboriginal Liu Shao-hsi, left. photo: taipei times mother who hums and sings in the tribe with a comforting and natural voice,” said the full-time policeman, who makes music in his spare time. As sunshiny and dorky-chic as his music, Lu explained why the daily routine of eating breakfast featured predominantly in his album: “Eating breakfast is a very rock ’n’ roll thing to do. I come from a small town in Tainan. Workers there eat lots of food to begin the day. When I first came to Taipei, I found that people here don’t eat break- fast, and I thought, ‘breakfast rocks!’” the 24-year-old and songwriter said. Winner in the Best Hakka Singer category, his fourth Golden Melody Award, Liu Shao-hsi (劉劭 希) bemoaned Hakka musicians’ low profile and said they should be given more opportunities to showcase their diverse sounds. “We’ve been innovating traditional music for more than a decade, but younger musicians still lack a platform to show off their creations, not even on Hakka television channel. You don’t hear Hakka voices at government-funded events and activities. Even if you do, it’s mostly stereotypical sounds, through which members of the general Weird shapes and mystifying menswear public come to know of Hakka music,” Liu said backstage after the ceremony. “I am not saying by Catherine Shu that the Golden Melody Awards are of no Staff reporter worth. But without other measures and platforms to encourage layful silhouettes and wacky menswear were costumes. The Hong our music, it is just P the order of the day on the red carpet at Kong singer’s jacket the Golden Melody Awards on Saturday night. flared into an a-line Singaporean singer (孫燕姿) stole at his waist, with headlines with her “black swan” Dsquared layers of baby pink From left to right: Singer and TV show host Alan Luo, gown, but it wasn’t her heavily feathered tulle peeping out Singaporean singer Stefanie Sun, Taiwanese singer Hsiao bodice that got the press’ attention. It from underneath. His Huang-qi and Patty Hou. photos: AP and reuters was the slit on her slinky black skirt, shortened trousers, which was high enough to induce a black-and-white nosebleed in spectators and looked striped anklet socks like it probably necessitated a bikini wax and bright red shoes, on the morning of the awards. on the other hand, If Sun’s dress was top-heavy, then Taiwanese singer would have made Golden Melody presents awards for artistic and traditional music Senda Aisa (千田愛紗) went in the opposite direction. Ronald McDonald The extremely puffy skirt of the Da Mouth vocalist’s green with envy. Moving Sound (聲動), produced by Music Forum (十方樂 hot pink mini-dress was layered with row upon row of Malaysian singer Winners in the 14 categories 集). A compilation of works by contemporary composers large and tightly gathered horizontal ruffles, making Gary Cao (曹格) include first-time nominee in , the album was also awarded top honors in the her look like a cross between a flamingo, a topiary and combined a checked Best Classical Album category. Marilyn Monroe. grey-and-black Tung Shun-wen and With seven accomplished musicians and music Other offbeat silhouettes included best Taiwanese sleeveless jacket guzheng player Ren Jie groups vying for the award, the hotly contested Best Female Singer winner Huang Yi-ling (黃乙玲) deep with a knee-length pop group Grasshopper Performance gong went to guzheng (古箏) player Ren purple bubble dress with a sloping hemline and tunic and black smile as they arrive at the 20th Golden 任潔 崑曲 Singaporean singer ’s (蔡健雅) short tomato trousers with one By ho yi Jie ( ). China’s renowned kunqu ( ) artist Wen Yu- Melody Awards held on Saturday, in 溫宇航 Staff reporter hang ( ) received the Best Traditional Interpretation red Lanvin number, which was ruched and gathered leg rolled up, like an Taipei. photo: AP 二胡 王 into a giant, loose rosette over her left shoulder. Best old-school rapper. The 20th Golden Melody Awards’ (金曲獎) ceremony Award, while Taiwanese erhu ( ) player Mia Wang ( 明華 Mandarin Female Singer winner Sandee Chen’s (陳 Taiwanese singer handed out honors in artistic and traditional music ) took home the Best Crossover Music Album Award 珊妮) rock-inspired Vivienne Westwood gown was a Alan Luo (羅志祥) said that his self-designed outfit was categories at Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (國父紀念館) for her mold-breaking renditions of jazz numbers. counterpoint to all the girliness. The black metallic inspired by Indian saris, but the snazzy black sharkskin on June 6 with 72 works selected from 1,508 entries The Lifetime Contribution Award went to Wu Jau- 吳兆南 fabric was draped and gathered around her body in knickerbockers, short cutaway jacket, tall boots and competing in 14 categories. nan ( ), the revered maestro of Chinese stand-up artfully haphazard folds and accentuated with a pair of swath of fabric wrapped around his torso made him One of the surprise winners was sax player Tung comedy, or heavy black gladiator sandals. look more Little Lord Fauntleroy than Bollywood. Shun-wen (董舜文). The first-time nominee beat veterans cross talk 相聲 Despite all the playful looks, many stars still Unlike many of the attendees, Taiwanese singer Matthew Lien and Gerald Shih (史擷詠) to pick up the Best ( ), who reached for surefire goddess gowns, including Ricky Hsiao (蕭煌奇) wore an outfit by a Taiwanese Arrangement Award for his jazz album One Day (歡日記). promotes Taiwanese television host Matilda Tao’s (陶晶瑩) designer. The visually impaired star’s oversized tuxedo First-time winner Li Ching-fang (李靜芳) welled up and studies gleaming pewter MaxMara dress with a low sweetheart jacket had giant sequined eyeballs marching down the when her independently produced Taiwanese opera the ancient neckline, Taiwanese actress Tian Xin’s (天心) elegant front and was designed by an artist and performance album was announced as the Best Traditional Opera folk art. lavender Dior and Chan Ya-wen’s (詹雅雯) custom-made artist named (surprise, surprise) Mr Eyeball (眼球先 Album Award. First-time Golden toga dress with a jeweled shoulder strap. 生). It made the schoolboy-on-crack striped blazer, Highly esteemed for his modern compositions, Melody winner Li The prize for craziest menswear arguably went matching shirt and white shorts worn by Best New composer and educator Lu Yan (盧炎), who died of cancer Ching-fang, left. to Best Mandarin Album winner ’s (陳 Artist and Best Composer winner, Crowd Lu (盧廣仲), last year aged 78, was honored for his contribution to  Photo: taipei times 奕迅) tuxedo, which seemed to be inspired by ballet look positively tame in comparison.

TT-980630-P16-IB.indd 1 2009/6/29 10:52:36