Gung Haggis Fat Choy: Toddish McWong's Rabbie Burns Dinner

[Toddish McWong]

Here are details to my annual Robbie Burns Chinese New Year Dinner, that I have dubbed "Gung Haggis Fat Choy."

It features a blend of Scottish and Chinese Candian performers, everything in-between and beyond.

January 30th, 2005
Floata Restaurant
Vancouver BC

Featured co-hosts:
Shelagh Rogers - CBC Radio host of "Sounds Like Canada"
Tom Chin - of Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre.

Featured performers:
Heather Pawsey - Opera Soprano
Joe McDonald and Brave Waves - cross-cultural fusion band (bagpipes + tabla + bass)
Vincent & Cameron Collins (Highland dancing brothers - Cameron placed 1st in Western US, Western Canada and BC Open + top 15 at Scotland's World Championships)
Fred Wah - poet (Scottish/Irish/Chinese and Swedish on his mother's side)
LaLa - Chinese Canadian hip hop singer
Veera devi Khare - South Asian-Canadian Opera soprano
Zhongxi Yu & Karen Wong (bagpipes + traditional chinese instruments)

For more information check out www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com

[macwilkin]

Todd,

I have a feeling Burns would have loved the Gung Haggis Fat Choy Dinner! :mrgreen:

That man tae man, the world o'er, shall brothers be, for a' that.

I only wish I could be there to see it firsthand!

Cheers,

T.

[JazzKiltz]

I was in Vancouver the last week of December playing at a club on Commercial Dr. called Rime. As I was kilted the whole time (my first kilted journey, by the way), a few people mentioned your event to me. I guess they assumed that a bald, kilted black guy either music be involved or he really needs to be!

[Toddish McWong]

Oh Jazz Kilt... Bear and I regret - really regret not being able to pop in and see you while you were in Vancouver.

I was running around trying to get my show for First Night Vancouver going. My first paid public gigs for a Vancouver Festival!

Damn - I should have invited you to come on stage with us.

We had 3 pairs of musicians taking turns playing. I set the mood as a kitchen party in a large living room. Hogmanay and Chinese New Year both celebrate by visiting friends and playing music.

I started off leading a singalong of Scotland the Brave with my accordion - dressed in my Maple Leaf Tartan "made by Bear Kilts" My accompanying singer LaLa was wearing a chinese mini-skirt.

Silk Road Music musicians Qiu Xia He and Andre Thibault played on guitar and Pipa (Chinese lute). They played a selection of tunes throughout the evening. Some Chinese, some celtic, some South American!

Karen Wong and Zhongxi Yu from Dragon River Shadow Puppet Theatre - also played a mixture of tunes. Ever hear Scottish tune "My Home" played on Chinese shung (bamboo and reed flutes) and suona (reed flute)? Ever hear Chinese traditional song "Jasmine Flower" played on Bagpipes?

Ever singalong to a chorus of "My Chow Mein Lies Over the Ocean, My Haggis Lies Over the Sea?"

Check my website for my complete description of the three 30 minute shows held at Library Square for First Night Vancouver. http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com/blo.../1/220813.html