2023
About the Program
Facing the water and singing a song—it’s like sending a message in a bottle. Because the distance is unknown, it’s more about letting emotions overflow into the sea. You see yourself in the waves, and you hear yourself in the song. A well-known folk song, “Reminiscence of Anping,” is the first thought of many elders in the community when they think of the Netherlands. The lyrics depict a Taiwanese woman carrying the golden-haired child of a Dutch ship doctor, waiting for her lover who never returned to the harbour. When people hear the melody, what they think of is no longer a melancholic love story, but their memories of Formosa. Ho Deng Music Ensemble will take you on a journey through time and the experiences of immigrants, as they perform songs about longing at the Harbourfront Centre. There, you will find unforgettable life stories that should not be forgotten.
Ho Deng Music Ensemble is a traditional music ensemble comprised of mainly children that started learning Chinese traditional instruments in Canada. Founder Jeanette Teng has been teaching students of all ages and backgrounds the techniques, art, and history of the same instruments that first captured her interest so many years ago. Ho Deng Music Ensemble has since earned awards at many competitions and has performed across the globe, including the founder’s birthplace of Taiwan and at the annual TAIWANfest.
Musicians
From the Curating Team
Curating community performances at TAIWANfest is like painting a self-portrait, constantly questioning Taiwanese culture's role in a Canadian festival. With these community performances, we aim to foster cross-cultural dialogue and break down ethnic barriers, highlighting Canada’s diverse society.
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Performance / Vendor / Sponsorship Opportunities
TAIWANfest Toronto is grateful to be held on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, that is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We acknowledge our privilege to be gathered here, and commit to work with and be respectful to the Indigenous peoples of this land while we engage in meaningful conversations of culture and reconciliation.