I was a part-time worker in a Taiwanese radio broadcast company. I had to work every Sunday. I quitted this part-time job few weeks ago because I wanted to have more free time to study and to go hiking. But I occasionally substitute for some of my former co-workers when they need a break. Today is Chinese New Year Eve, and I substitute for one of my former co-worker because he has to help his father's business in traditional market. So now, I am in my studio, listening to radio programs, taking notes. My responsibility is like Big Brother, monitoring if there are illegal contents in programs. Most programs made by this company are in Taiwanese, and most of them are programs that hosts sell medicine to Taiwanese listeners. But there are few good programs that introduce Taiwanese cultural events or histories.
One of my favorite program is Taiwan Radio (台灣Radio) whose host introduces Taiwanese songs popular in different periods of time or organize songs in different themes, like broadcasting Taiwanese songs about Spril or about Traveling spots. The host has collected Taiwanese songs more than 40 years. Most of his collections are out of print. His collections are really precious. Every time I listen to his program, I always feel delighted and touched. Sometimes I feel proud of being Taiwanese because I get sensation of being rooted in those cultural Taiwanese song performances.
When the show is live, a lot of his listeners like to call in to chat with the host. They talk in Taiwanese or Japanese. I sometimes can't understand the content of their conversation, but I have a feeling that the story of Cape No. 7 is about this group of people even though I don't comepletely agree with the portraits of Taiwanse that Cape No. 7 depicts.
My mother tongue is Taiwanese, I rarely speak in Taiwanese now. But when I listen to those Taiwanese songs, I can sing along easily. I think those cultural elements surrounded around me since I was a kid, and they have influence on me even though I'm not aware of them.
I like to find some popular Taiwanese songs that come to my mind, and bring back some of my childhood memories. Thanks to the Internet and Youtube, I can accomplish the task easier than before.
The song displayed below was a popular song in the 90s. It's mixed with Taiwanese religious elements. Young Taiwanese love it, but it's said that elder Taiwanese think it's a kind of taboo song. Its melody is adopted from songs used Taoism rituals like leading ghosts of family members dead in strange lands back home or summoning gods' protection or possession. I think it was unprecedented at its time.
Title: 倒退嚕 (Moving Backwards) Singer: 黃克林 (HUANG, Ke-ling)
There is a old lady waving a fan in this music video, she is 阿匹婆, a household name of those whose age is above 30.
Lyrics倒退嚕
ㄟ~拜請 拜請拜請 東海岸 西海岸 北投西帽山 鶯歌出土炭 草山低勒出溫泉
拜請哩 東營兵 東營將 西營兵 西營將 北營 中營 兵中將
起雄兵這個九千九百九萬千 滴滴工 擱勒春無玲 神ㄟ兵噢 神兵啊
火過火路靈 火過火路靈 鳳梨 西瓜平 欠錢不要還
尖嘴是雞喔 扁嘴是番鴉 灣灣是豬肉 四角是豆干 白白是麵線
拜請勒~你也大仙王爺公 小仙王爺子
我是假影請 你那來我就加了餅
(天頂天公 地下母舅公 北海岸有十八王公)
拜請哩~拜請拜請拜請
阮孝生去愛著 阿琴的查某子 不知有影也無影
有影就喊三聲 (沒影沒影沒影) 紅ㄟ千ㄟ喔紅千喔
四果排甲歸桌頂 紅柿 那芭樂 甲龍眼 要吃就自己撿 三碗兩碗做你排
煙雞股柳來殺 沒錢我不愛 紅包大個做你來拿 ㄟ來喔~~
阿公啊對阮有啊有交待
叫阮咧麻雀粒啊 不通黑白排
碰啊你塊碰啊 到啊我塊到啊 槓頂塊開花是加一台喔
草埔嗎跑阿馬嗎 草啊青青 草埔啊路上啊 草啊掛墘
有孝的媳婦是三餐燒 不孝的媳婦是 過路搖啊過路搖 搖你著搖過橋喔~
獻紙來你嘛燒錢去啊 獻紙啊燒錢 是要買路去啊
獻紙來你嘛燒錢去啊 獻紙啊燒錢 是要買路去哦 行你著行過橋喔~
牛頭馬面啊二將軍 還有日夜啊雙遊巡啊
燒酒排哩咧 銀啊紙獻啦 阿公啊對人是 很啊隨便
行你就行 你就乎伊過橋噢
草埔嗎路上阿 草啊青青 草埔啊路上阿 草啊掛墘
有孝的媳婦是三餐燒 不孝的媳婦是 過路搖啊過路搖 搖你著搖過橋喔~
獻紙來你嘛燒錢去啊 獻紙啊燒錢 是要買路去啊
獻紙來你嘛燒錢去啊 獻紙啊燒錢 是要買路去哦
行你就行 行到觀音佛祖廟 喔~
拜拜哦
來拜觀音菩薩哦