Second-generation musician introduces Taiwan to therapeutic handpanmusic｜Taiwan News

Mehta Manav Singh was born and raised in Taiwan, becoming the first Indian person to go through the nation’s compulsory education system. After decades of grappling with his identity, four years ago, he opened a restaurant to provide a space for multilingual and multicultural exchange. He also plays the handpan, and hopes to introduce others to its charms.
The ethereal sound of handpan mingles with bass guitar, soothing the audience. Unlike other percussion instruments, handpan music flows unbroken as a stream as the musician meditatively trades his right hand for left.
Mehta Manav Singh
Handpan musician
You really become addicted to handpan. It doesn’t matter if you play music, you’ll like it since it’s like any kind of drum. You can rely on your intuition to express yourself directly.
Mehta Manav Singh, a second-generation immigrant from India, is a handpan musician. It didn’t take long for him to fall head over heels. Now he’s an avid evangelist for the instrument, organizing one or two performances every month.
Mehta Manav Singh
Handpan musician
If the album my friends and I are releasing allows us some opportunities, then we could go perform at all types of venues and collaborate with all kinds of musicians.
Singh’s parents came to Taiwan from India for workin 1986. Although he was born and raised here, he always thought of himself as a foreigner because of how he looked.
Mehta Manav Singh
Handpan musician
I often talk with people about whether I’m Indian or Taiwanese, or which I feel like. Honestly, this is a huge topic. It doesn’t have a direct answer, because it depends on what you consider to be Taiwanese.
The greatest thing that helped Singh grapple with issues of identity was opening a business in 2020. His restaurant provides a space where everyone embraces and listens to one another.
Mehta Manav Singh
Handpan musician
We support a kind of culture, the culture of listening. No matter where you’re from or what you say, you have a space to share where others will hear you.
Singh is working hard to realize the utopia of a home that celebrates art without borders, bit by bit making it a reality.
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