This study is an examination of gender and cultural politics of koa-á-hì (,song-drama) in Taiwan from the late nineteenth century to the present time. It investigates the shifting boundaries of Taiwan’s national, cultural, and gender identities, focusing on the significance of koa-á-hì as a female-dominated form of artistic expression and as a major component in the nation’s construction of a unique Taiwanese culture. This study foregrounds the important role of music in providing a channel for women to communicate and in creating an opportunity for Taiwanese to be proud of their “own culture.”
Drawing on ethnographic research, this dissertation examines the history of thereception of koa-á-hìamong government authorities, academic circles, and the general population. It describes different forms of koa-á-hì’s presentations, suchas indoor stage, outdoor stage, radio, TV, and theater, during different time periods since the late nineteenth century. Furthermore, it explores the identities of koa-á-hì’s practitioners and audiences, studies koa-á-hìmusic and its use of voices, and analyzes a few selected contemporary plays.
Based on these analyses, I suggest that the negative attitude of the governmental and intellectual establishments toward koa-á-hìprior to the 1980s was a reflection of iiithe then dominant ideologies of Sinicization and patriarchy in Taiwan. Even so, koa-á-hìwas well-received by the general public. Meanwhile, producers of koa-á-hì transformed it into a female-performed theatrical genre. Since the rise of Taiwanese consciousness and the open-door policy toward Mainland China in the 1980s, koa-á-hìhas been elevated to a unique position in Taiwan. It has been emphasized as Taiwan’s indigenous culture, different from all other “Chinese cultural heritages.” The fact that koa-á-hìis performed by women, along with its music, have also been stressed and promoted. This transformation has not only changed elder female practitioners’ identities, but also provided opportunities for younger women to be involved with and design contemporary koa-á-hì.