EQUITY AND DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION COLUMN INCLUSION COLUMN

This issue we focus on doing a deep dive on the rich history of Taiwanese choral music and how the repertoire base has navigated components of coloniality, multicultural influence, and cultural affirmation Written by composer and vocalist, Hung Wen, a composition graduate student at the University of Hawai'i, Hung provides information and resources to help diversify and anchor our practice

Jace Kaholokula Saplan Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair

Compositions of Choral Coloniality: The Goddess of Spring by Uyongu

Yatauyungana

BY HUNG WEN, MUSIC THEORY AND COMPOSITION PHD CANDIDATE, UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I

“What is Taiwanese choral literature?” I started to think about this question because choral music is not traditional for the Taiwanese that lived five hundred years ago But now, we feel familiar with the choral repertoire After the Age of Discovery, the Spanish and the Dutch ruled areas of Taiwan’s west coast These countries brought missionaries and church music into the island, so the ancestors became familiar with this new music genre and singing style In the early 20th century, the Taiwan government brought western music into the schools Elementary through high school students were taught choral music The people gradually forgot or became unfamiliar with the traditional vocal music and singing style This paper discusses the colonial construction in a choir piece composed by a Taiwanese indigenous composer by understanding Taiwan’s regime history and how it has influenced choral works

Taiwan is between two mainland countries, China and Japan, and adjacent to the Philippine Islands across the Bashi Channel From a geopolitical perspective, Taiwan is located in the central area of the East Asian Island arc, a vital hub for Asia-Pacific trade transportation and an important military strategic location Since the 15th century, Taiwan has always been ruled, under control, and colonized by outsiders After WWII, control of Taiwan was turned over from Japan to the Republic of China In 1949, the Republic of China government evacuated from mainland China and entered Taiwan after the Chinese Civil War To fight against the Chinese Communist Party, a declaration of martial law began when the

Republic of China’s government moved into Taiwan

During that time, the government promoted the Chinese Cultural Renaissance, causing the second fault in the inheritance of the local Taiwanese and aboriginal culture Martial law was lifted in 1987, and local awareness rose Taiwan's government also completed the first peaceful party rotation in 2000

At present, the ethnic population of Taiwan is generally divided into Taiwanese and native Taiwanese

The former is Han, mainly from mainland China The latter are indigenous people; currently, there are 16 ethnic groups officially recognized Han Chinese makes up over 95% of the population, mainly Fujian and Hakka

After the Chinese Civil War in 1949, a further 1 2 million people from mainland China entered Taiwan On the other hand, indigenous Taiwanese comprise approximately 2% of the population and now mostly live in the eastern mountains Although the indigenous peoples have been forced to ban traditional cultural rituals on many occasions, they still retain their language, practices, costumes, and traditional beliefs Taiwan's complex historical background and multiculturalism have profoundly influenced the development of choral music Through the spread of Christianity and the promotion of school education, it has become a popular music genre in Taiwan Following the government changes in Taiwan's history and the rejection and absorption of western culture, choral music has played a pivotal role in Taiwan's music history In addition, choral music is often used as a medium to reflect social patterns and consciousness Choral music has also become a standard propaganda