2011 Festival Entertainment Schedule

May 14, 2011

2011 Festival Performer Bios

We have a wonderful list of performers for this year's festival!

Johnny Hi-Fi

With multiple US and Asia tours under their belt, Johnny Hi-Fi's alternative rock sound has captured fans all over the world. Over the last 10 years, the band has made appearances on MTV, PBS, CBS, and in publications including Billboard Magazine, Performer Magazine, the New York Times and the World Journal. In 2010, the band released their 7th CD titled "Love Sold Me Out", available on iTunes, and CDBaby. For photos, music, videos and to connect with the band on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace, visit www.JohnnyHi-Fi.com.

Fremont Taiwan School

Fremont Taiwan School (FTS) was established in 2004 by a group of dedicated parents whose goal was to create a friendly environment for children to learn about Taiwan. FTS fosters interest and love for Taiwan's culture in the students by teaching them the languages of Taiwan, Taiwanese, Mandarin, and Hakka, as well as different aspects of the culture, such as dance, and music. FTS also builds the children's self-confidence and their sense of self identities. The Fremont Taiwan School welcomes anyone who wants to expand their knowledge about Taiwan. You can see these performances at http://www.fremonttaiwanschool.org.

Cynthia Lin

Drawing comparisons to Ella Fitzgerald and Joni Mitchell, San Francisco-based singer/songwriter Cynthia Lin captivates audiences with a rich, outsized voice and witty, honest storytelling. The uncommon blend of retro jazz with acoustic fingerstyle guitar and a bluesy vocal delivery makes Cynthia's style unmistakable yet classic. Cynthia has released three albums independently and toured nationally. On her latest album Microscope (2010), Cynthia takes full artistic ownership in producing, arranging, and recording the nine-song collection, as well as hand-printing the limited edition letterpress packaging. A natural teacher, Cynthia also presents workshops to students encouraging them to empower their voices and follow their passions. For more information, please visit http://www.cynthialin.com.

Philein Wang / ZiRu Productions

Philein Wang is a Taiwanese-American dancer, musician and poet who created a highly stylized dance form for the Taiwanese body and identity: Tiger Hip HopTM/Tiger Motion. She has worked with and was a soloist with Janice Garrett, Ron Brown, Winifred R. Harris, Liss Fain Dance and Taiwan's world-renowned Cloudgate Dance Theater. In 2007, she founded Philein Wang/ZiRu Productions and has self-produced and presented work in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou. Fused with her own trademark Tiger Hip Hop dance, Wang overlaps the varied palette of dance vignettes with photography, artwork and live percussion. The collaborators are second generation Taiwanese. They present their shared origins, the emerging feeling of American traditions and the tension and loss surrounding life changes and the hardships associated with cultural assimilation. More info at: www.ziruproductions.com.

Diana Li

Diana Li is honored to perform in this cultural tradition for the 4th straight year, and she hopes the tradition continues! She has been playing piano and singing since she was 5 and has never really stopped. Currently she performs at weddings, restaurants, charity events, and much more. She resides in Orange County and has a regular gig playing the piano in the center of a piano bar at Seasons 52, a healthy-fare gourmet restaurant that opened last summer - and she also gives private piano lessons. In the past she has also performed at a Lakers game, UCLA Spring Sing, and was offered a position on the Taiwanese equivalent show to American Idol. She has been in musicals, sang in jazz choir, an a cappella group, and gospel choir. She has a full length CD out, a YouTube channel with almost 500,000 views: www.youtube.com/shiowchi and a website: www.dianalimusic.com.

The Ritards

The Ritards is an all-male acapella group started in 2004 by Jason Chou and Kevin Ju. The group, currently with 7 members, has grown into a family of alumni and others. The group is a self run group, scheduling their own rehearsals, arranging their own music, and learning their own parts. Their genre is on a very wide spectrum, ranging from Pop to R&B to Mandarin to Rock and many more. The group performs at many various events such as benefit concerts, school events, community service, community centers, etc. You can find videos and updates on the YouTube and Facebook pages. Striving for excellence in all aspects of performing, the Ritards have one goal: to put a smile on your face. More info at: www.theritards.com.

YTB (音濤榜)

YTB (音濤榜) is a local band whose musical style combines modern rock idioms with traditional folk melodies. Versions of Taiwanese pop music from the 1930s onwards constitute the main part of their repertoire, though the band has begun writing original material recently. 音濤榜 began in February 2010 as a project founded by members of YoungTAITA, the young professional's support organization of TAITASV to perform the post-banquet entertainment of the 2010 TAITA-SV Annual Conference. The group has continued since, expanding its repertoire and community scope.

Festival Layout

Booth Information

Check out what our festival has to offer at each booth!

• Information - Find out details about the festival and pick up memorabilia including t-shirts, programs and reusable bags. Representatives will also be on-site to answer any questions you may have about getting involved in the Taiwanese American community in the Bay Area.
• Taiwanese Delicacies - Enjoy a sampling of the culinary culture of Taiwan and taste Taiwanese dishes such as bah-tzang (Taiwanese tamale), Taiwanese sausage and stir fried noodles. Food will be served "tapas" style to parallel the common "nightmarket" experience in Taiwan where people try different food items from street food carts. Arrive early and order quickly before the food runs out!
• Orchids - To display orchids from Taiwan. Learn about where they came from, why they are so important to Taiwan, and how to take care of them if you own an orchid. Donations will be accepted for those who are interested in taking one home.
• Taiwanese American Identity - This booth is focused on providing information about the unique history of Taiwanese people in America and to explore the basis of today's Taiwanese American identity. Also find out about Taiwanese Americans who have made a name for themselves at the local and national community levels and hear their stories of how they got to where they are today.
• Sights of Taiwan - This booth is focused on showcasing Taiwan's landmarks and attractions. Find out about the best places to travel in Taiwan by learning from experts from the Tourism Bureau.
• Technology - Get to know Taiwan by learning about Taiwanese technology, top products and industries and how different regions of Taiwan have contributed to different types of technologies. Win a prize if you play the technology game and remember what you learned at the booth!
• Activities Pavilion - An interactive area for people to experience games and arts & crafts of Taiwan. There will be a station for people to practice the art of calligraphy and see professionals demonstrate different styles of calligraphy. Another station will contain materials for people to learn how to make traditional Taiwanese, fragrance pouches and origami. A puppet show will also be on display to showcase the elaborate costumes in glove puppetry. For those young at heart, there will be many games people can play that stem from Taiwanese nightmarkets and classic games that children in Taiwan would play.

Festival Driving Directions

From the Bay Bridge:
Take the Fremont Street exit to Mission Street and turn left onto Mission Street turn right at Third Street and as you cross Market Street make a left onto Geary Street. Stay on Geary Street and as you cross Stockton Street Union Square Park will be on your right hand side and Macy's on your left.

You can either park in the Union Square Garage or go to Parking Tips for more parking choices and rates.

From the Golden Gate Bridge:
After bridge proceed to Lombard Street exit, Follow Lombard to Van Ness (101 south) go right on Van Ness, continue on to O'Farrell Street, Left on O'Farrell Street. When you cross Powell Street, Union Square Park will be on your left and Macy's on your right.

You can either park in the Union Square Garage or go to Parking Tips for more parking choices and rates.

From 101 North:
7th Street exit, 7th Street north to McAllister Street and make an immediate right onto Leavenworth Street. Stay on Leavenworth until O'Farrell Street where you will turn right and continue until you cross Powell Street and Macy's will be on your left and Union Square Park will be on the other side of Macy's on Geary Street, parallel to O'Farrell.

You can either park in the Ellis and O'Farrell Garage or go to Parking Tips for more parking choices and rates.

From 280 North:
Exit 6th Street, continue on North on 6th Street to Howard Street, go left on Howard one block, at 7th Street go north to McAllister Street and make an immediate right onto Leavenworth Street. Stay on Leavenworth until O'Farrell Street where you will turn right and continue until you cross Powell Street and Macy's will be on your left and Union Square Park will be on the other side of Macy's on Geary Street, parallel to O'Farrell.

You can either park in the Ellis and O'Farrell Garage or go to Parking Tips for more parking choices and rates.