Taiwanese campus folk song
Encyclopedia
Taiwanese campus folk song, campus folk song, or campus folk rock is a genre of Taiwanese Music
with its roots as student songs in the campuses of Taiwanese universities during the 1970s. The genre was highly popular from the mid 1970s to the early 1990, with its focus on themes from the Chinese cultural sphere
in reaction to the prevalence of Western rock music
in Taiwan
as well as Taiwan's abdication from the world political stage
Campus folk rock was created by university age youth wishing to assert their own distinct cultural Chinese identities and "Sign our own songs." in the Chinese languages, taking the aspirations from the American folk music revival
. The movement towards and popularization of this music is considered to be a societal reaction towards Taiwan's expulsion from United Nations
(UN) in 1971 in the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, with international admission of the People's republic of China
as the sole legitimate representative of China in the UN. The songs were composed through fusing instrumental and melodic elements from American folk rock
, along with the expression and themes from Chinese folk music, both of which were familiar to the youth of the time. Songs from the genre are characterize as having a forward-looking, optimistic, simple, and youthfully naive feel, with acoustic guitar
and piano
as some of its most commonly used accompanying instruments.
Music of Taiwan
Taiwan is densely-populated and culturally diverse, including a majority of Bensheng ren , a powerful faction waishengren who arrived with Chiang Kai-shek in the middle of the 20th century and the minority of aboriginal peoples.With the arrival of the KMT led Republic of China government in 1949,...
with its roots as student songs in the campuses of Taiwanese universities during the 1970s. The genre was highly popular from the mid 1970s to the early 1990, with its focus on themes from the Chinese cultural sphere
Sinosphere
In areal linguistics, Sinosphere refers to a grouping of countries and regions that are currently inhabited with a majority of Chinese population or were historically under Chinese cultural influence...
in reaction to the prevalence of Western rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
as well as Taiwan's abdication from the world political stage
Campus folk rock was created by university age youth wishing to assert their own distinct cultural Chinese identities and "Sign our own songs." in the Chinese languages, taking the aspirations from the American folk music revival
American folk music revival
The American folk music revival was a phenomenon in the United States that began during the 1940s and peaked in popularity in the mid-1960s. Its roots went earlier, and performers like Josh White, Burl Ives, Woody Guthrie, Lead Belly, Richard Dyer-Bennett, Oscar Brand, Jean Ritchie, John Jacob...
. The movement towards and popularization of this music is considered to be a societal reaction towards Taiwan's expulsion from United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
(UN) in 1971 in the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, with international admission of the People's republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
as the sole legitimate representative of China in the UN. The songs were composed through fusing instrumental and melodic elements from American folk rock
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
, along with the expression and themes from Chinese folk music, both of which were familiar to the youth of the time. Songs from the genre are characterize as having a forward-looking, optimistic, simple, and youthfully naive feel, with acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
as some of its most commonly used accompanying instruments.