Japanese band visits Taiwan to cheer up post-explosion Kaohsiung in Okinawan

Reported by You Tzu-ju / Taipei

Organized by the Kaohsiung City Government Tourism Bureau, the 2014 Cijin Black Sand Rock Festival will be held for the first time on October 11 at Cijin Beach. With five main themes — making rock, listening to rock, playing rock, eating rock, and drinking rock — the event aims to showcase the resilient spirit of Kaohsiung people in adversity through the essence of rock music. Among the performers, the Okinawan band Spoon de Chop will present “Chibariyo,” a fusion of Okinawan folk and rock that uses the Okinawan word for “cheer up” to support Kaohsiung.


▲ Japanese Okinawan sanshin band Spoon de Chop. (Photo / Provided by Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau)

Located on the southwestern coast of Kaohsiung, the Cijin Peninsula is like an isolated seaside paradise. To give visitors the feel of a tropical island vacation, the Cijin Black Sand Rock Festival has specially invited the Okinawan sanshin band Spoon de Chop to perform, allowing attendees to enjoy the charm of Cijin’s beaches under the gentle sea breeze, as if on a holiday getaway.

The band “Spoon de Chop” has been active for 13 years, primarily performing Okinawan folk music. Accompanied by Japan’s traditional sanshin instrument, their music is rich with island vibes. Vocalist Rei from Japan revealed that they will blend Okinawan folk with rock at the Cijin Black Sand Rock Festival, embodying the theme of “loving Kaohsiung with rock.” Spoon de Chop performed in Kaohsiung earlier this year in February and spoke highly of the city’s friendly and enthusiastic residents.

Upon learning about the gas explosion accident in Kaohsiung, Spoon de Chop specially chose to perform “Chibariyo” at the Cijin Black Sand Rock Festival. “Chibariyo” is a song written in the Okinawan language meaning “cheer up.” Vocalist Rei hopes the song will bring continuous strength to the people of Kaohsiung and encourage them to move bravely toward the future. When asked how they plan to encourage the people of Kaohsiung, Rei said, “All the encouragement is in this song. Let the performance speak instead of words.”