The Taiwan Culture Festival kicks off with a huge (free!) musical love-in – Mark Tjhung checks out some of the highlights

Does anyone else think that Taiwan is trying to invade our music scene? In September, we were treated to a huge 20-act showcase of Formosa indie at the Taiwan Calling festival and this fortnight, as part of the 2011 Taiwan Culture Festival, one of the country’s most successful music events is holding its very first edition in Hong Kong with a free, two-day extravaganza in the Cultural Centre.

Since 2000, with its simple formula of beach, tunes and thousands of people, the Hohaiyan Festival has become one of Taiwan’s biggest celebrations of independent music and culture. This year, it’s spreading beyond their isle, with the grand ambition of bringing the Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Mainland indie music communities closer together.

“We are trying to integrate the media on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. There has been a lot of interaction over the past five years, but all of them have only been about the economics,” says Chang 43 of Taiwan Colors Music, curator of the festival. “It’s a pity there’s no music-related festival that integrates Hong Kong, China and Taiwan together. There’s no channel for them to have dialogue.”

While all three regions will be represented, with some bands from the Mainland and familiar names like Sugar Club and Tonick flying the HK flag, the two-day festival features a heavy Taiwanese slant. “I hope, through this, young people can understand that there’s more than one type of music in Taiwan. Taiwan music is very diverse. We have plenty of types of music.” This variety will be showcased over two stages: the Green Roots stage, focusing on folk acts, and the Heat Wave Rock stage, which we imagine will be hotter and rockier.

Of the almost 20 bands playing throughout the free (yes, free!) weekend, here are a few you should check out:

WaaWei Taipei
Sat 29, 10pm & Sun 30, 6.40pm
Cutesy, seductive and dreamy all at once, Wei Ruxuan, nicknamed ‘doll’, does quietly lyrical indie pop. She’s been to Hong Kong twice in the last year and is gaining a few fans.

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Secondhand Rose (二手玫瑰) Beijing
Sat 29, 8pm
It’s confronting glam-rock-trad-folk, with Chinese horns, traditional vocal styles and a bit of drag thrown in among guitars, drums and plenty of noise. Probably unlike anything you’ve seen before.

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88 Balaz Taipei
Sat 29, 5.20pm
Speedy lo-fi melodic garage goodness, with occasional unexpected country and horn-rock tinges – a decent entry into the Taiwanese indie rock scene.

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Out of the Cave (司崗里樂隊) Yunnan Kawai Tribe
Sun 30, 7.20pm
Think wistful sounds that combine lonely vocals and traditional instrumentation from the Southeastern Province with a Western twist.

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CiaCia Taipei
Sat 29, 9.20pm
Singer, songwriter and Radio DJ, this all-round princess of the Taiwan indie scene does tunes from twee folk-pop to electro-rock, including synths, cutesy vocals, fiddles and guitars.

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Suming Taitung Amis Tribe
Sun 30, 7.20pm
John Suming does man-with-a-guitar type tunes, infused with plenty of jazzy and pop influences as well
as sounds from his eastern Taiwanese tribe.

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Skaraoke Taipei
Sun 30, 8pm
This hat-loving seven-piece ensemble is one of Taiwan’s only original ska acts – Ska-raoke, geddit? But it’s not just ska – reggae, rock steady, swing and trad Taiwanese beats are all thrown into their sonic pot.

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Panai Taitung Puyuma Tribe
Sun 30, 7.20pm
This Taiwanese aboriginal singer-songwriter has the kind of deep, rich voice that has people comparing her to Tracy Chapman. In a good way, we guess – one of the most popular indigenous musicians in the country.