It all began with DC Rapier' s deep love of the Blues; he' d been singing and listening to Blues tunes since the early 1960's. The first step towards DC' s forming the Blues Society on Taiwan, however, was when he was the writer, producer, archivist, researcher, presenter, chief-cook and bottle-washer of a short-lived weekly radio show 'The Blues Power Hour'. This project fanned his passion for the Blues. Despite the wholesale indifference of the radio station, 'The Blues Power Hour' attracted listeners who contacted DC and shared their love of the Blues with him.

One question that listeners repeatedly asked was, 'Where can I hear the Blues played in Taiwan?' The answer was unsatisfying because there were no venues that featured the Blues on a regular basis. There was no Blues scene in Taipei or anywhere else on the island but there seemed to be plenty of people who really wanted to hear Blues played 'Live'. There were bands that played the Blues in Taiwan - David Chen & the Muddy Basin Ramblers, the Kenyatta Trio, DC' s own band, BoPoMoFo and there were bound to be more (and there were as it turned out) - but there was no blues scene. There were plenty of piano bars and 'Live' music rooms that touted 'jazz' as a marketing label but 'Blues'? Forget about it! What could be done? What action could anyone take to change the status quo?

Then, in August, 2004, after a pilgrimage to 'Buddy Guy' s Legends' in Chicago, DC decided to form the Blues Society on Taiwan in an effort to organize a grass-roots movement to promote the appreciation of the Blues. Not exactly a mission from god, but certainly one from a higher power - the Power of the Blues. DC then applied to the Blues Foundation so that the Blues Society on Taiwan would become an official affiliate of the Foundation and a member of the world-wide community of Blues organizations.

In order to raise public awareness of the power of the Blues, planning began for the very first Blues festival ever held on the island of Taiwan, the Blues & Bar-B-Q Bash. It was during the planning of the first Blues Bash that serendipity played a role, as it so often does.
DC was contacted by the manager of Florida Bluesman, Joey Gilmore, to nominate Joey as a competitor in the 25th International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. After hearing an mp3 file of Joey singing and playing, DC agreed. The BSoT would be represented by Joey Gilmore at the IBC.  So it was that right out of the gate, the BSoT took center stage with Joey Gilmore as the hands-down winner of the 25th International Blues Challenge in front of the Blues-world community. Quite a coming out party!

Just a month later - with more than just a little help from friends and family - on March 13, 2005, planning, perseverance, unflagging enthusiasm and culminated in the Blues & Bar-B-Q Bash being a memorable day in Taichung for all who braved unseasonably cold and blustery weather to attend and bear witness to the power of the Blues.

Since then, on November 5th, the first Blues festival ever held in Taipei and the second Blues festival hosted by the BSoT in a year, the Blues Bash 2, has been held with an even larger number of volunteers contributing their talents, time and efforts with an even larger number people attending from all over the island.

In little over a year's time, the BSoT has grown to just under 1000 members; male and female, Chinese and foreigners, young and old. There are many very exciting projects being planned for the BSoT including CD and DVDs releases of Blues Bash performances, the establishment of a School for Blues in Taiwan and, of course, for Blues Bash 3 in November, 2006.

The BSoT is a grass-roots, seat-of-the-pants organization that needs volunteers to realize its goal of promoting the appreciation of the Blues in Taiwan. Contact DC Rapier if you are interested in finding out becoming more involved in BSoT projects.

And remember: never under-estimate the power of one.