TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The world's first Buddhist-themed electronic music party, the Awaken Music Festival (醒醒音樂節), is coming back to Taipei this September. The festival will bring together a collection of international artists, combining music and art to spread Buddhist teachings through contemporary means and 3D electronic animations.
Organizers have invited the legendary Japanese monk-musician Kanho Yakushiji (藥師寺寬邦) and hip-hop monk Yogetsu Akasaka (赤坂陽月), known for his BeatBox adaptations of Buddhist chants, to participate in the festival for the first time in Taiwan. In addition, Vietnamese soul-electronic queen Tinna Tinh (蒂娜·丁), Brazilian DJ Kenny Musik (肯尼), Taiwanese monk Shi Jiandu (釋見睹), and Tibetan healing singer Drukmo Gyal (周毛嘉) will also perform.
The second edition of the Awaken Music Festival will take place at the Taipei Music Center (台北流行音樂中心) on Sept. 27 and 28. Organizers plan to use AI technology to produce high-quality animations that will breathe new life into the Buddha's story amid the night lights and sound effects. Yeh Tzu (燁子), the festival's founder, stated in a press release that the festival's purpose is to break the solemn and distant stereotypes often associated with Buddhism.