A monument will be set up to commemorate Mr. Lee Shuan-ze, a well-respected folk singer in the 70’s, on the Shepard’s Meadow at 10 am on October 1. 30 years prior to this date, Lee passed away suddenly, leaving a legacy behind him in the modern history of folk songs in Taiwan. His legacy was shaped by his devotion to create “songs” or “music” that was truly Taiwanese. That was unprecedented as most young people in his time were more familiar with the Beatles or Bob Dylan than any indigenous music. He was frustrated that Taiwanese youth did not have their own voice, so he started a campaign urging people to “sing their own songs.” According to several reliable sources, he in fact started the campaign in Tamkang during a concert where he smashed a Coca Cola’s bottle on stage, followed by the cry “Where is our own voice?” The rest is history.

Lee is also a proud son of TKU as he studied at the Department of Mathematics. Therefore, 30 years after his death, TKU wants to ensure his legacy can be passed on to future generations at Tamkang. One way of doing this is to have this monument set up and in additional to that, a memorial concert about his songs has been planned. Dr. Flora Chang, TKU President, and Dr. Tseng Hsieng-cheng, the President of National Hsin Chu University of Education are the organizers of this entire event, assisted by Wild Fire Music Group who are in charge of the concert. Many friends of Lee and some young musicians will perform his music at the concert.

Lee was not only a musician, according to Mr. Huang Hui-nan, the Director of Tamkang University Press, who knew Lee very well; he was also a poet, artist, and above all, an activist. Huang could actually name the date Lee started the “sing one’s own songs” campaign—December 3, 1976 at TKU’s Student Activity Center. Since Lee initiated such a controversial movement at this concert, it is also referred to as the “Tamkang Incident.” It was a kind of catalyst spurring many colleges to follow suit--they started to hold concerts so as to provide a platform for students to create and perform their own songs. Lee wrote altogether nine memorable folk songs that include “Formosa” and “Young China.”

Lee Shuan-ze memorial concert will be held in the evening of October 4. Entrance is free. ( ~Ying-hsueh Hu )