QNE_p048

QC08082013

10 THE QUEENS COURIER • DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL • AUGUST 8, 2013 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com Dragon Boat racing is based on a legend of the ancient patriot-poet Qu Yuan who lived from 340-278 BC. He was a Court Minister who advocated reforms for his home state of Chu. The King of Chu, however, disliked him for it and banished him from the state. In exile, he wandered the country writing poetry expressing his concerns for his homeland and its people. In 278 BC when Qu Yuan heard that his home had been invaded, he jumped into the Mi Lo River and drowned himself. Legend has it that local fishermen raced out to the river to save him, but couldn’t. To prevent his body from being eaten by the fish, they threw rice dumplings into the water as an offering to his heroic spirit. This was the beginning of Dragon Boat racing. Today, rice dumplings are eaten on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, which is commemorated each year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Four days before the festival begins, the dragon boats are taken from their resting places and their heads and tails attached. They are then ritually blessed by a Buddhist monk and later brought to life before the races by having their eyes dotted in red paint. In Hong Kong, it is the fishermen of the territory’s outlying islands such as Lantau, Lamma, and Cheung Chau, who observe these rituals. After the races, it is customary to spend the remainder of the day observing street theater, traditional Chinese dance performances, martial arts and other cultural demonstrations. THE RACE BY LIAM LA GUERRE lguerre@queenscourier.com Some local musicians are preparing to rock the dragon boats. The Bailen Brothers and BAAM, two up-and-coming bands, will be among the long list of performers from far and wide that will take the stage at this year’s Hong Kong Dragon Boat festival on August 10 and 11. Twin brothers David and Daniel Bailen, who are native New Yorkers, performed at the festival last year and had a blast, so they are looking forward once again to engaging the crowd with their style of Indie rock when they take the stage on August 11 at 11 a.m. “We just like doing it,” said David. “It’s multicultural, it’s very fun and it’s a great celebration of New York.” The brothers have been making music together since they were children. David and Daniel went to New York University and have been performing shows around the city for years. They recorded a “webisode” for MTV and a one-minute feature on Nickelodeon. The brothers will play some of their newer songs and even some old ones from their first album, “Must Be Mistaken.” BAAM, which also plays Indie rock music, will make its first-ever appearance at the dragon boat festival on August 10 at 1 p.m. BAAM’s music has heavy influence from jazz and blues, and the group has played around the city, including at CMJ Music Marathon, an annual music convention and festival in New York. The group isn’t only interested in performing for the crowd. They are also looking forward to watching the events as well. “I’m sure we’ll do some hanging,” said Aleski Glick, lead guitarist and a founding member of the band. “We’ll check out the races and check out the shaolin monks.” Other performances lined up for the festival include tap dancing by Susan Hebach, Italian Tarantella by Alessandra Belloni, dancing lion and dragon teams and music from the Chinese Music Ensemble of New York, the only full-scale Chinese orchestra in the country. Bands set to take the stage at Flushing Meadows Photos courtesy of Barbara Nelson Photos courtesy of the Bailen Brothers Legends and Rights Native New Yorker the Bailen Brothers band will perform at the Hong Kong Dragon Boat festival for the second consecutive time. Local indie rock band BAAM will perform at the Hong Kong Dragon Boat festival for the first time.


QC08082013
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