Sunday was a time of rememberance for Taiwanese musicians. Last night at Taipei's Legacy music venue, Huanyan (幻眼樂團) got back together to remember their band leader and frontman, Taiwanese rock-and-roll legend Xue Yue (薛岳). They were joined by fellow rockers The Chairman, Liu Weiren and a host of others to honor the memory of one of Taiwan's most famous musicians. All performances were done gratis, and all proceeds from the concert went to Xue's mother.
Known for pioneering and epitomizing the rock and roll scene of 1980's Taiwan with songs like "Airport" (機場) and "If There's Still a Tomorrow" (如果還有明), Xue Yue died of liver cancer in 1990, at the young age of 36. Before his death, Xue Yue put on one more concert with his good friend, guitarist and composer Liu Weiren (劉偉仁). It was here at this last concert, that they sung "Tomorrow" together on stage for the first time. Liu, a long-time sufferer of unspecified chronic eye problems, composed ths song for Xue after he said he would postumously donate his corneas to help Liu. Their close friendship made that much closer, Liu has remembered his friend in song for the last twenty years. For Chinese speakers, here is the link where I discovered a television report from last year on Xue Yue and his legacy.
On a much more personal note, Sunday night was also a time of loss. We discovered that our friend, Hecky Villenueva, had suffered a brain aneurysm and passed away over the weekend. Hecky was a dedicated Anthropologist, champion for the rights of the poor in the Phillippines, and a great friend. Hecky, you will be dearly missed. As sure as there is a tomorrow, I'll keep you in my memory.
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