Wu Hao-en

Wu Hao-en is a member of the Puyuma tribe and was born into the aptly nicknamed “Golden Melody Village” of Nanwang in Taitung County, from where other Taiwanese music greats such as Baliwakes (Lu Sen-bao), Purdur (Chen Jian-nian), Jiajia, and Samingad Purupurupuane (Ji Xiao-jun) hail. With music flowing through his veins, his talent was visible from a young age, and after a bit of basic technique lessons from one of his cousins, he developed his guitar and vocal skills on his own.

When blues music from the U.S. was taking his village by storm, Hao-en recalls, “for everyone from age eight to eighty, for all occasions from celebrations and rituals to cooking and doing laundry, music was like air to us: we couldn’t do without it. People sang as a way of expressing their emotions.” With this background, and immersed in gospel music as the son of a pastor, Hao-en’s love for and reliance on music grew.

After junior high school, Hao-en entered the ranks of indigenous singing and dancing and learned the traditional songs of various tribes. He became the guitarist for the Am Band and performed in Taiwan and internationally. He received the top honor in the indigenous music category at the Taiwan Music Composition and Songwriting Contest for his song “Lizards” in 2005. In 2006, he teamed up with performing artist Jiajia and won the Golden Melody Award for Best Duet Album for their blues release Blue in Love. People continue to sing his songs and recognize his melodies as contemporary Taiwanese classics.

Hao-en’s voice is both strong and delicate. His work is simple and direct, and his lyrics are meaningful and sincere. Each song comes from a true story and his music warms the soul and lightens the listener’s burdens.

Artist's others Profiles:

Legends of Passage