Passport to Taiwan is this SUNDAY!!
TaiwaneseNY
Sunday 5/29 12PM-5PM @ Union Square
(4, 5, 6, L, N, R, Q to 14 St - Union Square. Look for 16 St & Union Sq West Exit in the Station)
Due to significant increased premit fee by the City of New York,
the event suffered a great loss last year. We are looking for donations (tax-deductible)
of any amount to help this great event continue on in NYC. Your help is greatly appreciated. Please visit www.p2tw.org
for donation instructions via Paypal or check.
Thank you very much and see you on Sunday!!
When you arrive at the “Passport to Taiwan” Festival, take a picture at the entrance near Broadway with the installation arts by Shihpao Lin. His work represents the best mix of Taiwan and the United States.
Head to the food booths and pick up some Night Market style snacks. Many unique delicacies will be available, some only in the festival.
- Bubble Tea
- Shaved Ice
- Cold Drinks
- Lovely Crystal
- Tomato Platter
- Dracula Lollipop
- Ice Cream Wrap
- Gua-Bao (Burger, Taiwanese Style)
- Sticky Rice Bowl
- Oden (Fish Sticks)
- Grassy Pouch
- Bamboo Tamale
- Grilled Susage
- Taiwanese Snacks
- Rice with Formosa Ragu
- Welluck Selects
Stroll your way thru the cultural booths that offers many distinct products from Taiwan:
- Hakka “Red Flower” Fabric: This style of fabric was considered old fashion until it was used in a Paris fashion show and well received.
- Towel Bakery: These realistic looking cakes are made with hand towels. This story of innovation represents Taiwanese small business striving in the global competition.
- Straw Hat: Provides the best coverage to shield you from the blazing sun.
- Souvenirs: Buy a key chain or souvenir license plate as a way to commemorate the day!
- Aboriginal Crafts: Known for their colorful and original design. These items were directly supplied to us from the tribes in Taiwan.
You can also:
- Pick up a pot of Orchid to decorate your home!
- Learn how you can help out with a sustainable environment with Tzu-Chi Foundation, the largest charity in Taiwan!
- Support the 2010 NY Times Teacher of the Year by buying her books and crafts made by her students.
- Learn to drink Taiwanese Tea with proper etiquette with “Fang Tea”.
- Get acquainted with Taiwanese American Organizations.
- Learn about Insurance with Amerigroup.
- Bring home an official Festival T-Shirt!
There will also be Nine Craft Masters from Taiwan to demonstrate:
- Paper Parasols from Meinong / Hakka Patches
- Bamboo Dragonflies / Old-Fashioned Water Guns
- Weaving with Plastic Lacing / Fragrant Sachets
- Glass Beads
- Paper-Cutting / Dragon-Phoenix Calligraphy
- Kites / Old-Fashioned Bamboo Toy Guns
- Dough Figurines
- Land Crackers / Bamboo Cicadas / Bamboo Tops
- Calligraphy / Seal Cutting
Different Taiwanese Government Agencies will be onsite to present their services. Learn about: Not to be missed are the explosive performances on stage: Boston Folk Art Workshop Boston Folk Art Workshop Feature MC: Alyson Schill & Andy Shaw Alyson Schill
- Artistic Planning & Operations Manager and Marketing Director for
the annual Spring Scream Music and Arts Festival in Taiwan, lived,
studied, worked, and traveled in Taiwan for 4 years, becoming addicted
to the culture, lifestyle and cuisine of the enchanting island. While
there, she was an active supporter of the local music scene, organizing
festivals and concerts to try to spread knowledge and appreciation for
independent and creative music. Here in America, she aims to introduce
Taiwanese wisdom to the New Yorker lifestyle, such as lining up for the
subway, separating trash from recyclables and compost. Andy Shaw
(Shaw Promotions) - "Made in Taiwan, Raised in NYC and Perfected in
Subculture". Born in Taiwan, Andy Shaw moved to the United States at
the age of 10 with little knowledge of English or American culture. He
grew up in Queens, NY during the crazy 80's and 90's, and graduated from
LaGuardia High School (of "Fame") studying piano and the oboe, after
which he attended the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY, and NYC’s
Fashion Institute of Technology as an Advertising and Communications
major. He later set up his own marketing and promotional business, SHAW
Promotion, which offers creative services nationally. Growing
up in NYC Andy embraced all the unique subcultures with skateboarding,
vintage scooters, motorcycle cross country trips, music and art, and had
been in few local and national bands as the bassist and often the
master mind behind his each success. Andy often builds his visions and
inspirations from his travels and goes on road trips as much as
possible. In 2010, he decided to travel a country he loved but actually
knew and remembered little about, Taiwan, his motherland. Upon
arriving Taiwan, Andy immediately fell in love with the country, it's
people, culture, and of course, it's food. With his new buddy Thomas
(Skaroki-Taipei) as a sub culture guide, they attended the Spring Scream
festival in Kenting where Andy saw and met many great new friends,
Taiwanese and foreigners alike including Alyson Schill who will also be
MCing Passport to Taiwan. Notorious MSG Make sure to check out their anticipated new album Heavy Ghetto dropping on May 24th! The Hsu-Nami Hsu-Nami’s
music was featured in the 2008 Summer Olympic in Beijing. The track
“Rising of the sun” was the theme music representing the Chinese
Basketball team entrance theme. The Sounds of Domestic Living Known
from their youtube fundraising video for the victims of Taiwan's
Typhoon Morakot. A lo-fi video performing Taiwanese song "Ai-Biahnh
Jah-eh Eah. “愛拚才會贏”. The twin sister/lead vocalists Emily & Susan
Hsu personally made donation of .25 cents per hit/view at the time of
the Taiwan crisis. DJ J4 & YK (DJ小四 & 奕峻) Taiwanese
famous DJ & Award winning music producer DJ J4 (DJ小四) and
International recording artist Young Kin (奕峻) from the Jin going to
collaborate & takes the stage of Passport to Taiwan 2011. DJ J4 (DJ小四)
- starts his carrer as DJ when he was 17 years old. He performed in
many famous clubs in Taiwan, as time goes by, he becomes an important
role in Taiwan Hip Hop field through holding lots of party and DJ in
concert tours. He and another two MCs signed the contract with The Rock
music production company, and released 4 rap albums in 2000; since then
Hip Hop culture become a leading trend in Taiwan through their success.
Not satisfied in what he had done, J4 started to try different
possibilities. He performed with lots of DJ from different contries in
the same stage, such as DJ Aphrodite, DJ Krush, DJ Shadow; as a
turntablist in concert tour with singer Annie Yang, Shino Lin, Wu
Bai....etc. He also involved in music album producing, in 2004 he worked
with Taiwanese singer Sandee Chan 陳珊妮 for her album "Then, we all wept
in tears", this album was nominated and won the best album of the year
by the Golden Music Award in Taiwan in 2005. Now Jay lives in New York,
seeking for more challenge and possibilites in this city. He focus on
producing and sound enginnering so far. His recently work is another
album with Sandee Chan "What if it matters" “如果有一件事是重要的”. This album
mixed electronic elements and classic music instruments, and already
released in the end of 2008. which was nominated for the best album at
the golden melody award 2009 in Taiwan. Young Kin (奕峻) Andreas Yi-Jun Hwang
- more commonly know as rapper and entrepreneur, Young Kin. Was born in
Switzerland in 1984 to a Chinese father and Swiss mother and shortly
thereafter, at the ago of four month was transplanted halfway around the
world to Beijing China. The Diverse and Attained through growing up in
and international community that incorporated the best of both western
customs and eastern traditions, coupled with his never give-up mentality
and a profound love of urban music: eventually led young kin on to the
stage. By the age of 21, Young Kin’s reputation for consistently
producing heavy hitting street smart tracks in the studio coupled with
his impassioned Chinese flow live on stage at shows and battles had
gained him a celebrity status within the Chinese hip-hop scene. Joining
forces with Yin Ts’ and Young Kin continued his trek towards the top;
securing a first place trophy at the Iron Mic Chinese MC battle. Acting
as marketing director at the biggest hip-hop website in China, www.hiphop.cn
and collaborating with artists such as Royce 5’9’, Saigon, Skyzoon,
Havor from Mobb Deep and Taiwanese recording artist Pan Meichen. Young
Kin combines the determination of an athlete, the spirit of hustler, the
swagger of a gentleman and the wits of a college boy. Creating a
dangerous amalgamation that his foes must learn to fear and respect. XYZ 鍾翔宇 (Roc Yella) Feature Artist: Jonathan Lee 
Straight
off the streets of NYC's Chinatown, The Notorious MSG are three
renegade restaurant workers on a mission to blow your asses out with
their high-sodium beats. One of the member Down-Lo Mein is from Taiwan.
Band
Bio: Straight off the streets of NYC's Chinatown, The Notorious MSG are
three renegade restaurant workers on a mission to blow your asses out
with their high-sodium beats. After years of struggling in the kitchens,
Hong Kong Fever, Down-Lo Mein and the Hunan Bomb found salvation in
music. Hell-bent on revenge, they formed a band and the deep-fried force
of nature called The Notorious MSG were born.
http://www.myspace.com/notoriousmsg http://notoriousmsg.com
An internationally renowned progressive rock band with a Song
featured during the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. Back from their
spring Hsu-Nami Taiwan Tour, They were one of the headline bands in the
famous Spring Scream festival 2011. The Hsu-Nami is Front by Rock Erhu
player Jack Hsu (Taiwanese American)
Band
Bio: The Hsu-nami is an international renowned progressive rock band
from the United States. The Hsu-nami, named after the frontman Jack Hsu,
became known as the first "Progressive Erhu Rock" band in the world.
The Hsu-nami integrates an amplified "erhu", a two-string spike fiddle
used in Chinese classical and folk music, into an instrumental
progressive rock sound. Their music is marked by virtuosic erhu melodies
and shredding licks, in place of vocals, as intertwined by heavy guitar
riffs, tasteful guitar solos, funky rhythms, and metal-driven rock
drumming. Part of the new-fusion rock movement, the Hsu-nami redefines
the 1960s and 1970s fusion rock sound.
Blazing
the stages of the New York city area with their fiery brand of
progressive rock, The Hsu-nami has been building a name and gaining fans
since its inception in 2005 with an explosive live show and exceptional
musicianship. Behind two independent releases, “Entering the Mandala”
(2007), and “The Four Noble Truths” (2008), The Hsu-Nami has put
together an impressive series of significant performances, (Most
recently touring the whole country of Taiwan starting from the famous
Spring Scream festival in Kenting to Kaoshung, Taichung & Taipei in
April of 2011) They also headlining festivals in New York NY,
Philadelphia PA, Boston MA, St Louis MO, Seattle WA Vancouver B.C and
Toronto ON, as well as playing New York’s Citi Field (cap. 42, 000) and
Times Square. They have also shared the stage with major acts, both
domestic and international: Yellowcard (USA), Nightmare of You (USA),
Bowling for Soup (USA), Chthonic (Taiwan), Van Fan (Taiwan), Dazzle
Vision (Japan) and High and Mighty Color (Japan).
Band Bio: The Sounds of Domestic Living are
Emily and Susan Hsu of the band Exit Clov. They play a mix of spare
dark, indie, folk, country, soulful, pop, blues. They are currently
finalizing a forthcoming covers record that offers their own twist on
songs in Taiwanese and Mandarin. Also visit their Facebook page.
As
a member of a new generation of the Taiwan rap scene, XYZ gained
attention on various underground hip-hop discussion boards throughout
Taiwan.
He is also known as XYZ (Roc Yella) is a rapper from
Midlothian, who began listening to the rap six years ago in middle
school. The newfound passion, mixed with the love for the culture of his
home, Taiwan, and traditional culture in general, inspired him to begin
writing mandarin lyrics on scraps of paper in high school As a believer
of Bruce Lee’s philosophy of making no limit the only limit, XYZ
believes that there are no cultural boundaries of hip-hop and that it
can assimilate into whatever community in which it exists, rejecting the
idea that it is strictly limited to the black community in America.
Rappers well known in Taiwan, who have also gained widespread popularity
throughout the region, have also debunked this myth. As a member of a
new generation of the Taiwan rap scene, XYZ gained attention on various
underground hip-hop discussion boards throughout Taiwan, and has since
released a mixtape that is downloadable from his Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/twrap.
Focusing on lyrical content and wordplay, he followed Lil Wayne’s
mixtape model of utilizing beats of other rappers, and plans on using
original beats for upcoming non-mixtape projects. XYZ is returning to
Taiwan this summer, and hopes to have opportunities to perform there. 
In
a world where pre-ordered artists are given songs to sing, choreography
to execute, and images to assume, Jonathan Lee steps outside the
boundaries with a self contained refreshing outlook on music and
entertainment. Jonathan has a unique look, sound and vibe that he feels
will change the way we listen to music. The Pop/Soul singer is comprised
of several different strengths.
Artist
Bio: Jonathan Lee was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Growing up in
the Flatbush area of Brooklyn, Jonathan stayed out of trouble by finding
solace in music and dance. He became involved with the City Kids
Repertory Company which gave him several opportunities to work with
various recording artists including Grammy Award winners Madonna, Gloria
Estefan, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Diddy, Tracy Chapman, Mya and
Joe.
As a listener and lover of music, Jonathan was greatly
inspired by Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Prince, James Brown and
Donny Hathaway. Following the likes of his predecessors, he pens poetry
to the music, placing him in the moment of emotions, heart pouring off
the page with the hope that his words engulf and uplift. He is an
observer of life who captures the pleasantries and hardships of himself
and others. He decorates bars with words, creates infinite notes
arranged on Beethoven’s scrap sheets to be implanted in the back of
every listeners mind. Yet, he mesmerizes audiences with his intense
performances and thrills them with his dance ability and energy.