This year’s artists are handpicked by Alb himself. These artists are more than just icons, they are singer-songwriters
who are personal, handing a piece of themselves to you with each song they sing. Alb wants you to do more
than attend Albatross, he wants you to experience the raw passion these talented artists have to offer.
Taeyeon is a South Korean singer who debuted in 2007. She is the leader and main vocalist of K-pop girl groups, Girls’ Generation. She became the first K-pop female celebrity to reach seven million followers on Instagram. Taeyeon officially made her debut as solo artist in October with her first Mini Album “I”, which sold well over 100,000 physical copies. Recently, she released the first full length Album “My Voice” in February 2017, which has sold over 110,000 just for the preorder. Taeyeon will be headlining Albatross Music Festival 2017 in her solo premier performance in North America!
HYUKOH is a South Korean indie pop band that stirred up the Korean indie scene since the time of their debut in 2014. Claiming the title “Band of the New Generation”, the four 23-year-old members create music with various genres and cultural influences, such as Chinese and American. The band expresses the essence of youth—wild and free but also empty and deserted— not only by the music, but also through their videos, fashions, and performances. The lead singer Oh Hyuk’s sweet, yet raspy, voice and the dreamy, retro eclectic band vibes are the perfect combination to sit back and relax to. Their recently released rock album “23” placed 6th on Billboard’s world’s album chart.
Matzka is a Taiwanese band with band members all originating from Taitung’s Paiwan or Puyuma tribes. They have a unique style; though reggae-based, their songs blend together jazz, folk, heavy metal, rap, hip-hop and other elements from Taitung’s aboriginal music. Each of their songs may sound like different genres, but lead singer Matzka’s distinct, rugged voice is unmistakable.
At the age of 21, Eric Chou is already a popular Taiwanese singer songwriter. Playing classical piano from a young age, Eric developed a passion for composing and started drawing inspiration from personal experiences. He was scouted by an entertainment company while performing at his uncle’s wedding. He is best known for his ballads. Fun fact: while he was studying high school in Boston, USA, he competed in numerous chess competitions!
Queen Wei is a Taiwanese singer songwriter known for her pop songs. Her sweet, delicate voice and emotion-filled music was recognized in the popular Taiwanese singing competition, One Million Star. Rising to fame, her collaboration with Jay Chou on the song Rhythm of the Rain has almost hit 90 million hits on YouTube.
Far East Movement always had dance music in their DNA; their early breakout hit “Like a G6” established the LA trio as a major dance commodity around the world. Since then their ever-growing catalog of music has been supported by renowned artists such as Skrillex, Diplo, and Afrojack. They have also performed at some of the most prestigious festivals like Ultra Music Festival and Electric Daisy Carnival, continually showcasing FMas one of the most exciting touring acts in dance music. The group’s latest album, “Identity”, is the first of its kind focusing on bridging Eastern artists with FM’s Western dance music roots. This was well-received with a glowing review on Billboard and popularity on Youtube.
A Si is a Chinese Indie pop singer from Shanghai. In 2013, A Si won the Top Indie Artist in the Chinese Billboard Music Award. According to A Si, her stage name came from her favourite number four which is pronounced “si”. In Chinese, Si also means witty and unconstrained, which is reflected in both her lyrics and singing style.
The multi-talented Edison is a Hong Kong film actor, musician, producer, entrepreneur, and fashion designer. He is best known for his hip-hop music and his popular clothing line, Clot Media Division CMD. Born and raised in Vancouver, Edison went to R.C. Palmer Secondary in Richmond.
One of the first and founding artists of Chinese Folk music in China, Ma Di is known to express himself both simply and directly in his unique voice. His music ranges in themes of love and life in the city. Ma Di’s songs are so full of emotion that it’s almost chilling; in each song lingers delicateness and poetic elements. Born and raised in Northern China, Ma Di’s fame has rapidly spread to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan since the release of his song Nan Shan Nan.
Wanting was born and raised in Harbin, China, but has since moved to Vancouver when she was 16. As a pop singer-songwriter and pianist, “You Exist in My Song” was a huge hit. Her first album, Everything in the World, went platinum in China within the first week of sale. In 2013, Wanting became the first-ever Vancouver tourism ambassador.
Elise Estrada is a Filipino-Canadian pop singer-songwriter and actress. Growing up in Surrey, British Columbia, she attended Holy Cross Regional High School. At age 17, she won the title of “Miss Vancouver Princess”. Elise is best-known for her singles “Insatiable”, “One Last Time” and “Lipstick”; when “Insatiable” was released, it rose to number 1 on the Canadian Top 40 Charts.
“Nair” is a band name that has deep meaning. Mongolian traditional holidays and festivities are accompanied with great feasts that are called “Nair.” Mongolians hold feasts for many significant occasions and usually involve many people eating and drinking, and performing traditional songs and dances. This band aims to represent the rich culture heritage of the Mongolian people through their lively, infectious music.
REAKT is a Japanese singer from Tokyo, Japan currently touring in North America. His music is a mix of Japanese Pop, EDM, and Hip Hop. His musical purpose is to spread his sound and message to the world.
DJ Cho Cha is recognized as one of Vancouver’s #1 DJs for the past 13 years. As an international DJ, she has played in Canada, the United States and Taiwan for the likes of Justin Bieber, Djimon Hounsou and the Vancouver Canucks. She currently DJs at Vancouver’s own Drai’s, Barnone, Celebrities, Venue and more. Cho Cha has the amazing, rare and innate ability to read any crowd, play to their liking, build up the atmosphere and take the crowd to a higher level like no other.
