Listening to a Nanguan Performance in Lugang

Nanguan music originated from the Quanchou area of Fujian. Since the Ming dynasty it also became popular in Lugang and Tainan due to their frequent trade with Quanzhou and a period of great cultural prosperity. Many musicians were invited from the mainland to come to Taiwan to teach and perform, causing these two locals to become hotbeds for musical growth.
Nanguan music has a melodious and refined tone, one that was well liked by the literati. During the 1920s and 1930s the Nanguan music scene in Lugang was at its peak. Not only did the Japanese not prohibit it, they actively promoted it. At the time, Lugang had five different Nanguan troupes, including the Standard Studio and the Virtuoso Club. This type of music can be either sung or performed. Lyrics tend to be effete and sentimental and are sung in the ancient Quanzhou style. In all, it is quite enchanting.
　　This picture was taken in 1957. The singer was called A-mei, who once published a record in the 1920s.