[ Chinese ]

Awards

* Top 10 music album reward in '05 from  "Taipei Times"

* The Best Hakka Music CD At " the Golden Melody Awards 2006 "

   (Taiwan's Grammy Awards)

Listening / Program    

Introduction

Hohak Carnival is the Hohak Band's first album. Like the band's name, the album title, which in Hakka reads "hohakhi", has more than one meaning. In Hakka, "hi" (pronounced "hee") can mean “festival” or “carnival”, but it can also mean “game”. For the Hohak Band, playing music like playing a game, and it's a game to be enjoyed not only by the performers but by the listeners as well. Many of the songs on Hohak Carnival are based on traditional Hakka folk songs such as the so-called "mountain songs", but both the music and lyrics have undergone many changes from the way these songs have been performed by previous generations of Hakkas.

One example of the way the Hohak Band has updated traditional Hakka songs is the track "Seven Day Song". The popular traditional song on which it was based, "Ten Day Song", described some of the routines of farming women in the traditional ten-day “week”. The Hohak Band has changed the song to reflect the modern seven-day week and the routines of modern life. But what really sets the Hohak Band apart is the way they incorporate other influences into their music. On "The Song I Was Asked To Sing," bassist Chen Guanyu’s reworking of a traditional Hakka mountain song and on " Playing and Singing," which is based on the melody of a traditional song from Taiwan’s Hoklo majority, the influence of West African musician Ali Farka Toure can be heard. The song " Galanglang Romance" is based on a Taiwanese aboriginal melody, and “Heartlight” was influenced by blind Hakka erhu player Shu Mujen and by legendary jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius. And on "Destitute Man", Chen Guanyu rewrote a set of traditional lyrics and performs them as a rap over original music composed by guitarist Ke Chihhao. With its unique mix of traditional and modern music, Hohak Carnival promises fun for all.

Artists

The Hohak Band

Mix of Traditional and Modern Musicals From The Hakka Tribe

The Hohak Band was formed in late 2003 by three former members of the Labor Exchange Band, bassist Chen Guanyu, drummer Chung Chengda, and suona player Kwok Chinchye, plus erhu player Shiao Shihwei and electric guitarist Ke Chihhao. The Labor Exchange Band was a groundbreaking group which performed in the language of Taiwan’s Hakka minority, combining traditional instruments with elements of rock, and was the winner of several Golden Melody Awards (Taiwan’s equivalent of the Grammies), including one for Best Popular Music Band in 2002. The Hohak Band has continued to combine traditional and modern music, but has added some traditional elements and at the same time has added elements of jazz, West African music, and even a little hip-hop.

“Hohak” literally translates as “good to guests”, i.e. hospitable, but could also be read as “good Hakkas”, a reference to the band’s Hakka identity. Both from the band’s name and from their music, it is obvious that they feel music is first and foremost about having fun. Not only do they obviously have a lot of fun making music, but they impart this feeling to their audiences, whether or not the latter understand a word of what is being sung. The music of the Hohak Band is playful and joyous, and invites the listener to join in the fun.

Edition Extended