Band Brings Hope in Slums with Music
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16 | Tuesday, August 10, 2021 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY LIFE A cup to remember Author seeks to simplify the world of Chinese ceramics for his readers by explaining the art, design and techniques involved, Yang Yang reports. n 2014, a Chenghua jigangbei, or aesthetics and craftsmanship into “chicken cup”, created in the modern life.” Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), As well as running the business, was auctioned for HK$280 Tu also learned to make ceram- Imillion ($36 million) at Sothe- ics, which helps him to better by’s in Hong Kong. In addi- understand the craftsman- tion to its high price, the ship involved. In 2016, he widely published photo published his first book, of its collector, Liu Yiqi- Zhici Biji (Notes on Por- an, sipping from the celain Making), allow- piece, the “holy grail” of ing readers to see the Chinese ceramics, got production process of people excited. porcelain items and When people see the stories behind “chicken cups” at them. museums, they cannot In 2018 and 2019, Tu help asking guides why published another two one sold for such a high books about ceramics, price or whether it was one about the history of just a “rich people’s game”. China’s porcelain develop- When the guides try to ment, and the other about explain the value of such items the 100 classic ornamental to tourists, they often emphasize examples of Chinese porcelain. the technique of doucai (literally In the new book, Guci Zhi meaning “colors that fit together”), Guang, Tu presents 77 representative which was difficult to achieve in the ancient Chinese ceramic items in 15th century. A blue-and-white porcelain chronological order. By discussing But for Tu Ruiming, author of Guci plate dating back to the Yuan their forms, colors, materials, tech- Zhi Guang (Light of Ancient Chinese Dynasty (1271-1368). nique and historical background, Tu Ceramics), which was recently pub- tries to provide “an angle for ordinary lished, rather than its price or tech- people to appreciate the beauty, func- nique, the appreciation of the tion and roles of these ceramics”. Chenghua “chicken cup” should go ceramics and going to Jingdezhen, Tu previously tried to look for books back to the real value of the ceramic, China’s “porcelain capital”, to buy vari- from this perspective, but failed to find Tu Ruiming’s new that is, its beauty, as he writes in the ous kinds of ceramic products. any. Ancient people seldom talked book features 77 book. As he learned more about ceramics about porcelain, while contemporary representative ancient With a discussion of the painting on and bought many items, he started an books about ceramics are full of bor- Chinese ceramic the cup, an introduction of the doucai online store in March 2008 to sell the ing terms and abstract concepts, items, including (from technique, the description of its deli- items he did not want to keep. In 2009, Tu says. top) a tricolored glazed cate form, and the narration of legends the monthly sales surpassed 10,000 “So I would like to talk about ceramic horse dating Tu Ruiming shares his about it, Tu uses plain and vivid lan- yuan ($1,500) and Tu decided to quit the ceramic pieces one by one. back to the Tang understanding of Chinese guage to help readers appreciate this his job to focus on ceramics. In this book, I choose 77 Dynasty (618-907), a ceramics in his new book, masterpiece, as he does with the other “Because of the online store, I have a items, which, I think, best Chenghua “chicken Guci Zhi Guang. 76 representative ancient Chinese profound understanding of ceramic represent the aesthetics of cup” from the Ming PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY ceramic pieces in the book. culture, techniques and the industry. Chinese ceramics, and I talk Dynasty (1368-1644), a In 1999, after graduating from uni- The traditional ceramic technique about how to appreciate them Ruyao porcelain dish versity, Tu became a civil servant in developed, but a craftsman’s life was and the stories behind each from the Song Dynasty Nanchang, Jiangxi province. In 2006, hard. They deserve better understand- piece,” he says. (960-1279) and a Ming Tu fell in love with tea and purple clay ing and recognition, which is why we Dynasty jar (left). teapots. In 2007, to find good tea cups, started our business,” Tu writes in a Contact the writer at Tu started reading a lot of books about blog post. “We try to bring traditional [email protected] Band brings hope in slums with music NAIROBI — When Moses creed, its youthful founders, like Kimani and his two childhood Zawadi Joshua, a 24-year-old singer acquaintances formed the band who was also born and raised in Cyplez in 2013, little did they imag- Mathare, have retained a sunny ine it would become a sensation in optimism. the Mathare slums, located on the Joshua was instrumental in eastern fringes of Kenya’s capital, founding the band with the con- Nairobi. viction that it would help him to “Hold on, don’t give up. Keep realize his dream of becoming an Three books introduced to the international market by the Shanghai your head up.” The lyrics have accomplished vocalist and inspire Translation Publishing House. PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY always been a motto for dwellers of Mathare youth to rise above their the area. Through music, the band circumstances and prove their is encouraging a growing number worth. of young people to stay on their feet. Despite its proximity to polluted Music has become a source of sol- water, the Sanaa Center, with its Shanghai publisher ace for Kimani. graffiti-covered iron sheet walls, The 26-year-old vocalist was born provides an ideal background to and raised in the expansive slum at a shoot a music video and has been a opens copyright office time when the dreams of so many prized destination for upcoming young people died prematurely artists in Mathare. amid harsh living conditions It is in this makeshift arena that By YANG YANG While the STPH copyright office defined by poverty, crime and drug the likes of Moses Ambani, another [email protected] was at its preparation stage, Archi- abuse. member of Cyplez, have found sol- pel Press sold the rights of Shuang Nevertheless, Kimani and his ace in the quest to improve his The Shanghai Translation Pub- Xuetao’s Moses on the Plain to an singing trio found inspiration in capacity to belt out inspirational lishing House recently established a Italian publisher and the book came music. lyrics. copyright office to cover works by out in April. When their paths crossed during The 24-year-old says he started Chinese writers overseas, in an Moreover, in the spring of 2022, adolescence, their bond with art singing at a young age and the effort to promote Chinese literature Rouge Street: Three Novellas by Shu- grew even stronger, leading to the encouragement from his mother to the rest of the world. ang will be published by US Metro- formation of a band that is causing prompted him to pursue it as a Since its establishment more politan Books. The book comprises waves in one of Nairobi’s oldest vocation. than 40 years ago, the STPH, one Shuang’s three novellas Moses on informal settlements. “We have been addressing issues of the largest book publishers in the Plain, The Aviator and The Hall Seated at a makeshift bench on pertinent to the Mathare slums like China, has published many con- of Light. the banks of the Nairobi River that crime, pollution, unemployment temporary foreign literary works, Another achievement is that the snakes through the Mathare slums, and poverty through our songs,” such as those by Jorge Borges, English translation of Wang Yin’s on a balmy afternoon, Kimani and says Ambani. Kazuo Ishiguro, Haruki Muraka- collection of poems will be pub- his bandmates are in their element Top: Members of the Cyplez music band sing their signature tune in “Our goal is to promote a positive mi, Ian McEwan, Margaret lished by New York Review Books. as they belt out a signature tune Nairobi, Kenya. Above: The trio pose in front of a graffiti-covered narrative as we inspire the next gen- Atwood and Milan Kundera, in In the next three years, the STPH called Haly. wall in the city’s Mathare slums area. PHOTOS BY LI YAN / XINHUA eration to be agents of change in the addition to imported social scien- plans to find first-rate publishers “Our music is unique since it area, despite the hardships they ces books. around the world for 20 of the writ- seeks to unite, give hope and might be facing.” With its extensive resources, the ers it represents. inspire people of all ages in the who earns a living through photog- “Other challenges we are facing George Nakami, a 24-year-old STPH has decided to cooperate with Han Weidong, president of the midst of difficult living conditions,” raphy. include connecting with estab- construction management major outstanding domestic agencies to STPH, says that in recent years, Kimani says. So far, Cyplez has released four lished artists for collaboration that who was born and raised in better promote Chinese literature in works by Chinese writers such as Mo Adjacent to the Nairobi River visual and eight audio music works, can raise our visibility. We are una- Mathare, confesses his love for the the international market. Yan, Yu Hua, Mai Jia and Liu Cixin that is choked with household and but it is working on an EP that has ble to stage live performances lyrics composed by Cyplez.