Ethan Hollan’s Tiger son features a chorus with lyrics describing a desire for a sense of belonging in his hometown
A Co Down-born musician with Hong Kong heritage has recently gone viral for his song exploring the experiences of growing up Asian in Northern Ireland. Ethan Hollan, singer of the band Touzai, grew up in Bangor after his parents immigrated to Northern Ireland from China in the 70s.
The popular track, ‘Tiger Song’, which has been played on RTE radio, features a chorus with lyrics describing a desire for a sense of belonging in his hometown. The song has received a lot of love on social media, with many commenting on its relatability, something which Ethan told Belfast Live has been, “really touching”.
He said: “The track is very much me reflecting over years of experiences, and dealing with racism. I wanted to write a song to raise a bit of awareness, but also to have a brighter outlook in some aspects.”
Hollan originally wrote the song in his bedroom in 2020, and has since released multiple songs on Spotify while playing his first headline gig in Ulster Sports Club two weeks ago.
The singer is someone evidently proud of their heritage, embracing both Irish and Asian culture in his music as two sides of his home.
“The opening line is taken from Korean folklore, but it’s tied to both aspects of home. My family’s home back in Hong Kong, and here where I’ve been raised”, continued Ethan.
“My dad arrived here with his grandparents when he was seven in the early 70s.”
“Initially, it was very hard for them to find somewhere permanent, they were moving all about England for a while before finally settling in Donaghadee.
“My mum was in a similar situation as well. They moved to Derry when she was about 11, and she grew up in the Bogside before moving to east Belfast in her later teenage years.”
Hollan’s dad got him playing the piano from the age of eight, in which he became classically trained before switching to guitar and finding his own songwriting style.
“Writing music for me is very much about letting your feelings onto a page, making songs that feel very personal to myself, but as soon as you step onto a stage it becomes more than that.
“Other people start to connect to those ideas, and you’re sharing that experience.”
Hollan recalled some instances in the past of racism he has experienced, with one incident occurring when he was just a young child.
“I was just walking in a shopping centre and a couple of guys, who were quite far away from me, shouted slurs at me.
“As a kid, you don’t really know how to react to that, other than to walk away, which is what your parents tell you to do.”
However, the musician doesn’t allow for any racism to get in his way.
“A lot of the motivation for why I started music is to make the change you want to see. I was very inspired by local musicians, which very much made music feel possible for me.
“That’s what I want young musicians to feel, and for other ethnic minorities to see me on stage and maybe feel inspired to do something similar.
Ethan has big plans for his band’s future, bolstered already by the playtime he’s received on both BBC Ulster Radio and RTE.
“Dan Heggarty of RTE has been an absolute champion. He’s played my songs quite frequently on his show, which is so cool to see.
“The support has been immense, and it’s making me really excited for the future.”
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