Human rights apply to many different aspects of our lives, and different groups of people face different kinds of human rights problems. Naturally, people deprived of life or liberty because of their opinions or through miscarriages of justice are victims of human rights violations. Likewise, people denied equal treatment because of their gender, ethnic or national origin, or sexual orientation are also victims of human rights violations. So are abused children or workers mistreated by their bosses. Through this CD we hope to bring everyone's attention to some of these problems and the disadvantaged groups in our society who are most likely to encounter them. Of course we also hope you will be entertained by all the terrific music!
The album opens with the song "Going Home," written by a young aboriginal singer named Soel who died saving someone else from drowning and performed by his former bandmate Sai. It expresses the longing felt by many young aborigines who must leave their homes to find work. It is followed by "God!", a new composition from the album's producer Joytopper (Zhu Yuexin). His song is a rocker dealing with the governmental oppression that Taiwanese have suffered under in the past.
On the third track, we move from historical and ethnic issues to that of gender. Cia-cia's song "I Want My Life Back" deals with the right of women to break free of unhealthy relationships and live their own lives. Next is Huang Jingya's simple but moving "The Wind's Secret," a song about children's vulnerability to the whims of adults.
We all spend our childhood subject to the authority of adults who may not always use that authority wisely. This applies not only to parents but to teachers and school authorities as well. 929's humorous song "The Bathroom In The Corner" addresses students' frustration at attempts to curtail their independence. But even when we reach adulthood we find that we are still subject to others. "Fortunate My Ass" is a sarcastic attack on employers who claim all the benefits from their employees' labor.
With the recent downturn in the world economy and the accompanying slump in Taiwan's growth, more and more people are unable to find work at all. Ye Shuyin's "Jobless Man" originally appeared on a compilation album 11 years ago, but now it is more appropriate than ever as Taiwan faces its highest unemployment rate in decades.
Perhaps the most disadvantaged people of all in Taiwan are the foreign laborers and foreign brides brought in from Southeast Asia and China. The Filipino folk rock classic "Masdan Mo Ang Kapaligiran (Look At Your Surroundings)" is here performed by three of the tens of thousands of Filipino workers in Taiwan. The song itself is about the environment and its destruction through excessive development.
The next song on the album is also about our right to a clean environment. As its title indicates, "Nuclear-Free Home," which first appeared on another compilation album earlier this year, expresses support for Taiwan's anti-nuclear movement. It was written and performed by the Hakka band Labor Exchange (here singing in Mandarin), a strong supporter of environmental issues. This song is followed by a track which sums up the theme of the album. "Formosa (Beautiful Island)" dates back to Taiwan's campus folk movement and was frequently performed at opposition rallies. Here it is performed by aboriginal singer Panai and sums up our hope that everyone in Taiwan can learn to respect the rights of others so that Taiwan can truly be a beautiful island.
We can learn more about human rights from everyone and everything around us. This is expressed in the short song "I Learn," which is followed by the final track on the album, "Shining Souls." This song was written especially for the Hsichih Trio, perhaps the best-known ongoing human rights case in Taiwan. This return from general themes to a specific one serves as a reminder of the harm that a lack of respect for human rights can do to individual lives.
Human rights are important to everyone, young or old, male or female, Taiwanese or foreign-born. We hope that this album will be able to teach you a little about human rights and entertain you while doing so. So sit back and enjoy!
