French audiences are being urged to participate in a music event in France on Jan. 30, which will showcase Taiwanese artists, including pop diva Jolin Tsai who expressed her excitement about the upcoming Cannes performance by saying 'I hope more great Taiwanese artists can stand on an international stage.'
The Taiwan Night concert, scheduled to take place at Le Trianon in Paris, is part of Taiwan's efforts to promote its music at the Marche International du Disque et de l'Edition Musicale (MIDEM), the world's largest music-industry trade fair held in France.
Tsai and singer-songwriter William Wei will perform their popular hits, and Yen and Z of the electronic band Salamander will remix songs by artists who have won Taiwan's Golden Melody Awards and Golden Indie Music Awards, said Great Capital Artist, which was commissioned by the Ministry of Culture to organize the event.
In response to the concern of fans over concert tickets being too expensive, Great Capital Artist pointed out that as a result of the past successes of Taiwan Night concerts, the organizers have booked a much larger venue this year to ensure a more spectacular performance.
The concert is also expected to be more innovative this year, it noted, calling on French audiences to attend the event. A Taiwan booth will also be set up at the fair to display albums that have won music awards in Taiwan, and seven Taiwanese music companies will participate in the fair, buying and selling music copyrights, the organizers added.
MIDEM, which attracts thousands of musicians, producers, and managers each year, will take place from Jan. 26-29 in Cannes. Taiwanese rock band Mayday performed at the fair in January last year and attracted the attention of international music companies, entertainment agencies and media critics, according to the ministry's Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development.
Tseng Chin-man, a section chief at the bureau, said that international music fairs like MIDEM allow people in other countries to get in touch with Taiwanese music. 'It is a starting point. After that, opportunities for commercial performances or album releases could follow,' Tseng pointed out.