Giyu Tjuljaviya's "Like Cloud's Shadow Follows" 2026 Taipei concert wraps on a high

Giyu Tjuljaviya, winner of Best Lyricist at the 36th Golden Melody Awards, held his first large-scale solo concert, "Like Cloud's Shadow Follows, 2026 Taipei Concert," last Saturday (8/22) at Legacy Taipei. Built around the concept of "scenery you can hear," the show guided the audience through over a decade of his songwriting via ambient sound, literary narration, and immersive VJ visuals — a deeply personal dialogue on land, class, cultural identity, and loss.

As the audience entered, they encountered a physical installation built by key visual designer Huang Chia-hung — a 37th Golden Melody Best Album Design nominee — and artist Ohau. Fans could tear off a sheet of "cloud shadow" paper printed with Giyu's lyrics on the back, a private invitation into the show and a piece of the night to take home. The production team also recorded natural ambient sound on location in Taitung, so that stepping into the venue felt like stepping into another time and place.

The show opened with a passage Giyu selected from Proust's "In Search of Lost Time," followed by a special bilingual Paiwan-and-Mandarin performance of "tjuljaviya, Autumn Silvergrass" — fulfilling fans' long-standing wish for lyric translations. Giyu shared emotionally: "Singing these songs feels like seeing a younger version of myself. Even though this is a public show, the setlist is designed to feel like a private conversation with the audience — an invitation to walk through my memories with me."

Later in the show, Giyu offered a deeply considered take on Indigenous identity. "Indigenous people have lived through wave after wave of colonization and language assimilation policies — we're the group least obligated to explain to the public why we don't 'look' Indigenous." Culture is fluid, he said bluntly; Indigenous people aren't museum artifacts. "However the public understands a cloud through its shadow on the ground, the cloud is always the cloud, and Indigenous people are always Indigenous people. Different peoples are like different kinds of weather, each with their own temperament — if we can adapt to each other, we can look out for each other." He then performed the album's title track, "Clouds Will Cross the Mountain," which weaves Mandarin and his native language together, leading the crowd in a sing-along for the first time.

As the crowd called out for more, Giyu returned for an encore, specially performing "Dancing in the Wasteland" as a tribute to the late singer Ricky Hsiao, who passed eight years ago, followed by "A Cry I Haven't Felt Yet." He encouraged everyone to hold onto their values and choose kindness — you, too, can be the one who shines, he said, likening the bond between people to tears keeping freckles company.

After the show, a long line quickly formed outside for autographs and merchandise — one devoted fan had flown in all the way from Beijing just to experience the show in person. Merchandise for the show carries through the same key-visual aesthetic in a line of wearable accessories. For more, follow Giyu Tjuljaviya's official fan page.

"The disappearance of clouds doesn't mean they're gone — they become heavy rain, returning to this road." — Giyu Tjuljaviya, "Son of the Southern Loop"