"The Orange" is a venue in Beijing's Sanlitun Village that has
always been a hotbed for the latest and hottest cultural activity. Now, as part
of this year's Beijing Music Festival, it has welcomed a very unique troupe,
comprised of eight ethnic minorities from Yunnan province.
The culture richness of Yunnan's ethnic minorities is once again
center-stage.
This unique concert celebrates the music of 8 ethnic minorities along the ancient Tea Horse Road, once a central trade route for Tibetan horses and Chinese tea.
41 musicians present this musical feast, which includes the dynamic love duet of the Bulang minority, the hunting song of the Lagu minority, and the flute solo of the Wa people.
The concert is the first of its kind to feature all-minority music during the Beijing Music Festival.
This unique concert celebrates the music of 8 ethnic minorities along the
ancient Tea Horse Road, once a central trade route for Tibetan horses and
Chinese tea.
Highlighting the show is a group of Lagu minority musicians. Along with
their guitar playing, the singers wow the audience with their stunning vocals.
The combination of western instruments and traditional folk singing creates
a peculiar chemistry, even evoking a hint of Hawaiian folk music.
41 musicians present this musical feast, which includes the dynamic love
duet of the Bulang minority, the hunting song of the Lagu minority, and the
flute solo of the Wa people.
"I'm from the Yi minority in Yunnan province. Thanks to this platform,
we were able to showcase our unique music to a wider audience," said Lu
Guohua, Yi ethnic minority singer.
Most of the performers are genuine Yunnan ethnic minority people who have
never been to Beijing, making this concert a very unique experience. It is
indeed a remarkable homage to all the cultures that have nourished the people
along the ancient Tea Horse Road.
"They are local farmers and have never received any professional
training. I'm from the Lisu minority and we've gathered a total of 7 local
singers. We have a very deep musical tradition. People used to say in our
community, before you can walk, you dance, and before you speak, you
sing," said Mu Weichun, Lisu ethnic minority singer.
Between each song, there's a video showing the musical tradition of the
corresponding ethnic minority. Although most of the songs are sung in local
languages, the audience seems to overcome the barrier and appreciate the music.
"Very impressive. Their voices are just amazing," said an
audience.
"I've seen a similar music performance in Yunnan before and this
concert brought back memories. But it was very different and I really enjoyed
it," said an audience.
The concert is the first of its kind to feature all-minority music during
the Beijing Music Festival. Hopefully, this will be a good start to
revive China's folk music traditions and its cultural heritage.
