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20 Monday, June 10, 2019 LIFE CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION s a kid growing up in Yin­ chuan, Northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous A documentary on singer Su Yang’s musical inspiration region, Su Yang recalls local people singing “infectious” folk A will be in Chinese cinemas soon, Chen Nan reports. songs as they worked on farms there. It wasn’t until adulthood, however, after Su founded his own band, influ­ enced by rock, that he discovered his interest in Ningxia’s folk and tradi­ tional music. Since 2003, the 50­year­old singer­ songwriter, who picked up music at the age of 16, has been traveling around Northwest China collecting folk material from local artists. In 2006, he released his debut album, Able and Virtuous, which soon gained him a fan base with its combi­ nation of folk music and rock. Four years later, he released his second album, Like A Grass, which, like his debut album, features ele­ ments of Chinese folk. One of the songs Su performs is a traditional hua’er, a type of folk singing from the country’s northwest. Titled The Night Journey, the song tells the sto­ ry of a man’s secret date with the woman of his dreams. In 2016, Su and a team of filmmak­ ers visited four folk artists in differ­ Folk rocks ent locations, who have influenced his music, and shot the documentary, The River in Me, which is set to be released in Chinese cinemas on June 18. The film was screened during this Ke Yongquan, 30, who was born year’s Cannes Film Festival on May and raised in Wuchuan, Guangdong 18. As the music director of the docu­ province, is one of them. He had not mentary, Su is also the narrator who visited Northwest China before links the four people together. shooting the documentary. The four folk artists are Ma Feng­ “We worked on the post­produc­ shan, who lives in Gu’an county, tion for a whole year,” Ke says. “While Ningxia, and sings hua’er songs; Wei shooting the documentary, we lived Zongfu, who lives in a mountainous with the folk artists. They live differ­ area of Huanxian county, Gansu ently from people in bigger cities. province, and is a shadow puppetry Now, I miss them and our days togeth­ master; Zhang Jinlai from Yinchuan er, especially near the Yellow River.” who performs Qinqiang Opera, an Ke, who has worked in Beijing and art form featuring high­pitched Shanghai, says before filming, he had sounds; and Liu Shikai, a storyteller not listened to Su’s music much but from Yanchi county, Ningxia. was taken by Su’s interactions with Besides performing as folk artists, the folk artists through music. the four also work as farmers to “The shooting opened a new make a living. Top: The Yellow River vision for me to review myself and “I’ve known them for more than 10 estuary features in the music my life. Young people leave their years,” says Su, who was born in Wen­ documentary, The River in hometowns to seek a better life in ling, a coastal city in East China’s Me. bigger cities. It’s sad to see old arts Zhejiang province, and moved to Yin­ Middle left: Singer­songwrit­ dying,” Ke says. “I hope the audience chuan with his parents at the age of 7. er Su Yang has been will think about their hometowns “They learned their art forms from traveling around Northwest (when they watch the film).” the older generation and are still per­ China collecting folk The documentary is part of the Yel­ forming in remote villages. The art material from local artists. low River Runs Forth project, which forms, both sounds and folk stories, Middle right: Folk artist Su launched in 2016 with the aim of were born out of local daily life and Zhang Jinlai (left) from showcasing the sounds and visual connect with everything such as the Yinchuan performs material he has gathered over the weather, landscape, dialects and food. Qinqiang Opera. past two decades in Northwest Chi­ “They are not famous or wealthy. Left: Wei Zongfu from na. He also created paintings during But they are keeping the great art tra­ Huanxian county, Gansu his visits, which he uses as multime­ ditions alive,” Su adds. province, is a shadow dia material during his concerts. He says that when he realized puppetry master featured in Su says he wants the audience to Western rock music “wasn’t enough” the documentary. watch the documentary and learn to convey his thoughts, Chinese folk PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY more about the people and art tradi­ arts showed him the way. tions of the region. Making money Three young film directors con­ from it is not his goal, he adds. densed the 1,600 hours of footage shot over 2016­18 into the documen­ Contact the writer at tary of 98 minutes. [email protected] Summer festival set to offer treat to Shanghai music fans By ZHANG KUN in Shanghai impact on him and encouraged him [email protected] to take up music as a career. And since then, he has attended a couple A number of new musicians and of MISA concerts every year when music productions will make their he flies home for his summer vaca­ China debuts at the upcoming tion from the United States. Music in the Summer Air festival in The New York Philharmonic will Shanghai, which will take place also be performing at the MISA fes­ from July 2 to 15. tival for the fifth year in a row. Its The MISA festival is an annual music director Jaap van Zweden event that has been hosted by the will join hands with South Korean Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and pianist Seong­Jin Cho to present the the municipal educational commis­ opening concert on July 2. sion since 2010. This year, the festi­ In 2015, Cho, 25, became the first val will consist of 23 concerts at the South Korean to win the Interna­ Shanghai Symphony Hall and the tional Chopin Piano Competition. Shanghai Urban Music Lawn, an The SSO will play the closing con­ outdoor music space next to the cert under the baton of its music Shanghai Concert Hall. Left: Rock band Hanggai performs with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra at the MISA festival in July 2017. REN LONG / XINHUA director Yu Long on July 15. Among the acts to feature at the Right: Audience members in Shanghai listen to a concert at a previous MISA event. GUO CHANGYAO / FOR CHINA DAILY The program consisting of three event, Swiss Conductor Charles concertos by Mozart, Prokofiev and Dutoit will collaborate with German Dvorak will be part of preparations singer Ute Lemper and the SSO to sented by the BBC Symphony, under ince and the Beijing Tianqiao Arts in the parking lot of the Shanghai adding that some have embarked on for the orchestra’s upcoming global present the Chinese premiere of The the baton of Sir Andrew Davis on Center for more shows. Conservatory of Music. musical careers, too. tour in celebration of its 140th anni­ Seven Deadly Sins at the Shanghai July 7. Meanwhile, Yuan­pu Chiao, a Chi­ “From the very beginning, we and Wu Kaiyuan, a junior student versary. Symphony Hall on July 5. A cross­over festival that embra­ nese musician based in Taiwan, has the municipal educational commis­ majoring in violin at the San Fran­ The tour will take the SSO to the The satirical ballet chante (sung ces music of diverse genres, MISA adapted Edvard Grieg’s composi­ sion founded MISA in order to cisco Conservatory of Music, is a fan Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, and ballet) penned by German compos­ will this year present a world music tion Peer Gynt, and invited theater engage young people and introduce of the MISA festival. for the first time, the BBC Proms in er Kurt Weill in 1933, sometimes concert led by Chinese pipa player actor Wang Yaoqing to narrate in them to classical music. In 2011, he was a violinist in a stu­ Britain. referred to as Weimar Germany’s Wu Man; a mandolin concert by Chinese the 21 different roles in the “Bearing this mission in mind, dents’ orchestra in Shanghai, which Speaking about the SSO’s upcom­ swan song, will be performed at the musicians from Israel and an ethnic play by Ibsen, to help audiences MISA has given 200 performances had an opportunity to play at MISA ing program, Zhou says: “We are show. And Lemper is believed to be music concert from Syria, as well as enjoy the music. and welcomed more than 200,000 under the baton of maestro conduc­ honored to be part of the most pres­ the best interpreter of Weill’s com­ Japanese taiko drumming troupe The concert will be presented by audience members.” tor Dutoit, who came with the Royal tigious music festivals in the world position, says Wang Xiaoting, the Kodo’s new project Evolution under the SSO under the baton of Zhang This year MISA will again present Philharmonic Orchestra of Britain. representing symphony music from program director of SSO. the artistic direction of master Jiemin on July 9 and will feature concerts by a number of student Speaking about how the festival China. Also premiering at the festival kabuki artist Tamasaburo Bando. soprano Ma Qian. orchestras, and host young compos­ influenced him, he says: “I was “And we hope to introduce to will be Raymond Yiu’s work Xoco­ After two performances on the Speaking about how the event has ers’ workshops.

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