A tribute to a legend

As a producer for the album, Chyi adds that it was a bold idea to release an album based on the lyrics by such an acclaimed writer, and that it was a good example of how a record company could focus on art rather than appeal to the market.

"The album represents the golden era of the Taiwan music industry," Chyi says, adding that the name of the album was given by Sanmao herself.

Sanmao was said to have derived inspiration for the album title when she was watching an Indian movie while writing songs for the album. In that movie, a little girl was listening to the echo of a bell ringing in a temple. Sanmao's English name also happens to be Echo.

Chyi and Pan say that audiences of the concert will get to see handwritten letters and photos of Sanmao through the use of multimedia technology. Some of the conversations they shared with Sammao will also be heard as voiceovers during the concert.

"People can now listen to fantastic music on high quality and keep sounds in digital formats. But what we had back in 1985 was totally analog so the audience could listen to her voice in a very real and natural manner," Chyi says.

Chyi thinks that telling stories in new and immersive ways can be liberating for a concert. She reveals that she had to hold back her emotions while performing onstage because "so many memories flood back". She once cried during a rehearsal when she performed the song Don't Say Goodbye, which was written by Sanmao and Li Tai-Hsiang.

"I think many people, either readers of Sanmao or not, will love this theaterical space they enter - it's not quite like any other show," says Chyi.

"It's not only about music but also the life story of Sanmao. In that case, the audience comes in and watches something like a traditional story on stage told through music."