Wu Siou-ming (吳修銘) (Photo courtesy of the AIT)
Taipei, Aug. 18 (CNA) A Taiwanese is among 25 musicians from 17 countries and territories selected to participate in an international exchange program organized by the U.S. State Department to promote musical collaboration and people-to-people exchanges, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) said Thursday.
Wu Siou-ming (吳修銘), a digital sound artist from Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan, has been selected as one of fellows of OneBeat, as the program is called, the AIT said. It is the second time a Taiwanese musician has been included in the program, said the AIT, which represents U.S. interests in Taiwan in the absence of bilateral diplomatic ties.
On OneBeat's fifth tour around the U.S., the participating musicians will travel to Florida, California, Louisiana, Tennessee and Illinois from Sept. 10 to Oct. 11, the AIT said.
Under the theme "Musical Migrations," this year's program will encourage the participants to "explore how people's movement across the globe has shaped music, and conversely, how music can encourage dialogue and resilience amidst displacement and upheaval," the AIT said.
"In a time of global refugee crises and immigration debates, OneBeat brings together artists from around the world to collaborate on new music, celebrate their differences, and share the personal and collective journeys of each musical culture," it added.
The program will kick off at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida, where the participants will stay for two weeks, the AIT said.
In the following two weeks, they will travel to different cities to learn more about the global impact of African-American music, it added.
They will visit New Orleans, the birthplace of jazz; Chattanooga, the home of Bessie Smith, dubbed "Empress of the Blues;" and Chicago, the home of blues, electronic music and hip-hop, it said.
In each of those cities, the OneBeat participants will present a series of public performances for local audiences, and hold educational events in collaboration with local musicians, educators, and community organizations to explore the power of music, the AIT said.
(By Elaine Hou)
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