TAIWAN: CELLIST YO-YO MA STARTS CONCERT TOUR OF CLASSICAL MUSIC INSPIRED BY BACH

Record ID: 678439

  • Title: TAIWAN: CELLIST YO-YO MA STARTS CONCERT TOUR OF CLASSICAL MUSIC INSPIRED BY BACH
  • Date: 24th March 1999
  • Summary: TAIPEI, TAIWAN (MARCH 7, 1999) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) MA SAYING: 'China, I think it's very interesting, but it's also a completely different frame. It is a huge country, and with very different kinds of restriction on children you can have. So the idea you can have only one child does something to the society because you give everything to that one child. Of course, Taiwan people are very loving to their children also. But I think just specific differences actually foster different cultural results. And that's always the case." TAIPEI, TAIWAN (MARCH 7, 1999) (REUTERS) VARIOUS SHOTS OF YO YO MA HAVE A DIALOGUE WITH TAIPEI MAYOR MA YING-JEOU
  • Embargoed: 8th April 1999 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: TAIPEI, KAOHSIUNG, TAIWAN
  • Country: Taiwan
  • Topics: Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA31V9AEK6PMXH9OGQCK7W3LK5Z
  • Story Text: Renowned Chinese American cellist Yo-Yo Ma has been in Taiwan for a concert tour inspired by Bach.Tickets for the popular musician's Taipei performance were snapped up by his Asian fans.
    Asia's favourite cellist made a flying visit to Taiwan early this month to play his "Yo Yo Ma Cello Suites Inspired by Bach".
    The Grammy Award winner devoted his performance to Bach's Solo Cello Suites, numbers one to six.The suites are known as the 'Bible of Cello' by the music world and are among the most sophisticated and challenging musical pieces for the cello.
    Hundreds of Ma's fans who couldn't get a ticket for the performance braved the cold outside to watch him on a giant screen.Moments after leaving the stage a grateful Ma appeared outside to tell them he was touched by their support.
    He said: "I want to say thank you to you all, my friends, for coming here tonight.I am very touched to see you."
    Ma praised Taiwan for it's energy, contemplating the cultural differences between the island, China and Hong Kong.Beijing views Taiwan as a renegrade province that still belongs to the mainland and sees its 1997 reunification of Hong Kong as a model for Taiwan to follow.
    Ma said: "China, Taiwan or Hong Kong, what's interesting is that every place, I think, has a starting point.And what I found interesting is I am always looking for where the energy is coming from.Of course, Taiwan is special because it's an island.And so in an island, you see people just all live together, you can't move away.You are here.And the energy is incredible, is really focused.'' A day after his concert Ma visited Kaohsiung and spent time tutoring a group of budding young cellists.The Chinese musician pointed out that the childhood of the Taiwanese youngsters was very different from that experienced by youths in his own country.
    He said: ''China, I think it's very interesting, but it's also a completely different frame.It is a huge country, and with very different kinds of restriction on children you can have.So the idea you can have only one child does something to the society because you give everything to that one child.Of course, Taiwan people are very loving to their children also.But I think just specific differences actually foster different cultural results.And that's always the case."
    Ma was born in Paris in 1955 to Chinese parents.He began his cello studies with his father at the age of four.By the time he was five years old he knew three Bach cello suites by heart.A graduate of Harvard University, Ma now lives in Winchester, Massachusetts.
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