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Blues & Bar-B-Q Bash in Taiwan

© Douglas Charles Rapier

This past March, the Blues Society on Taiwan hosted the very first festival of Blues music ever held in Taiwan. The catch-phrase of the first Blues & Bar-B-Q Bash might well have been, "At least it didn't rain." The weather was not what anyone expected from a mid-March day in Taichung. Colder than a witch's hind teat and windy to boot. But the stage was set, the musicians were primed and, as the old saw goes, 'the show must go on'. And so it did.

'Stevie Ray & Black Sheep' accepted the honor of opening the very first Blues festival on Taiwan with poise and aplomb, defying the blustery breeze sweeping the stage at Tiger City Mall. Doing their signature mix of original tunes sung in Chinese and their homage to Blues guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughn, 'Black Sheep' lit the fuse that set the gathering crowd of music fans on fire, heating up the Tiger City Plaza.

'Boogie Chillin'' then took the stage and fanned the flames into a blaze of Blues. With the addition of featured vocalist, Tameika, and a guest trumpeter, the Chillin' put the pedal to the metal and rocked the house. Grammy Award Winner, Hazel Payne, graciously undertaking the role of Blues Ambassador and event MC, joined the 'Chillin'' for the first of several spirited versions of 'Every Day I have the Blues' to be heard that day in Taichung.

Pioneers and stalwarts of the nascent Taiwan Blues scene, David Chen & the Muddy Basin Ramblers, their horns, jugs and harmonicas blowing, kazoos keening, guitar sliding, wash-tub bass thumping, tap-shoes clattering and voices raised in joyously mournful song, added their raucous, playful exuberance to the festivities, demonstrating that the Blues are meant to make you feel good, y'all.

Hizzoner, Taichung mayor, Jason Hu took time from his hectic schedule to lend his support to 'Live' music by appearing on stage with Hazel Payne and some of the Bash organizers. He took a turn at singing 'Every Day I have the Blues' with Ms Payne and the crowd, a moment which the television cameras loved.

Following the Mayor was ㄅㄆㄇㄈ, (BoPoMoFo). The BPMFers presented a fevered glimpse of ballsy, old school, Chicago-style Blues, summoning the ghosts of Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Little Walter and Sonny Boy Williamson II. Once more, Hazel Payne was asked to join the band in - you guessed it - 'Every Day I have the Blues'.

Peter 'Bonzo' Radvanyi, a European Blues-man of renown made the event warm and cozy with his inimitable style and delivery. Singing in both English and Slovakian, alternately playing regular acoustic guitar and the dobro (or resophonic guitar), Bonzo made the Blues Bash a truly personal experience, sharing stories of his country and the origins of the dobro between songs. In the true spirit of a Blues festival, he invited DC Rapier and David Chen to share the stage and play a couple of tunes with him. Driven by the spirit, members of BoPoMoFo, the Muddy Basin Ramblers and Boogie Chillin' all joined in for a big finish to Bonzo's set.

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