French-Taiwanese singer showcases Taiwan in new French jazz album

Taipei, May 24 (CNA) Taiwanese general stores have become a hit in France after one appeared on the cover of Estelle Perrault's (張婷雅) newly released Taiwan-themed jazz album.

"I am not trying to represent the Taiwanese people, but rather trying to relate to them," she said.

Perrault was raised in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and moved to France at six years old, returning to Taiwan at 18 to study law and play in bands, before returning to France and being scouted by a record company.

The acclaimed French-Taiwanese jazz singer recently released her third album in France, featuring extensive Taiwanese elements in its design, style, and lyrics.

The new album's cover photo was taken in a general store which also doubles as a tailor's store in her hometown of Kaohsiung. Perrault told CNA she chose the location as a tribute to her grandmother, who made clothes for a living.

The singer said her Taiwanese family continues to inspire her songs, even from afar. She is currently working on a single dedicated to her grandfather. When speaking about their relationship and his passing, she couldn't help but choke up and shed tears.

Another source of inspiration is her identity and experience as a French-Taiwanese, exemplified by her single "I Know You Wish," in which she sings about struggling to fit in because of her upbringing.

"I hope my listeners can resonate with me, and find their stories within my songs," she said.

Perraut added that she worries about people seeing her as a French person, and criticizing her for not speaking Mandarin fluently.

"I cannot change the fact that I am French-Taiwanese, but that does not affect my love for Taiwan," she said.

The back of the album features a flag commonly referred to as the "Blue Ground Yellow Tiger Flag," which was the flag of the Republic of Formosa--a short-lived republic established by Taiwanese gentry in 1895 to resist Japanese rule.

According to the singer, she wants French people to ask her about the flag, so she has the chance to tell them its story.

She also thinks it is a shame how little Taiwanese people know about the story of their land.

"We are Taiwanese. We have our roots, yet the books rarely talk about our own history," she said.

As the French public becomes more aware of the threat Taiwan faces from China, she talks about Taiwan's identity and democracy on French shows and in interviews whenever given the chance.

Perrault said that while her record company fully supports incorporating Taiwanese elements in her album, some Taiwanese people worry she might lose the Chinese market or tell her to "stop saying so much."

Some people also label her as leaning toward certain political parties in Taiwan, to which Perraut says she just wants Taiwan to remain free and democratic under its own governance.

"I follow what my heart says is true, not the market," she said.