CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Wednesday, December 2, 2020 | 17 YOUTH

ame never tastes as good as Band competition — last year which the first time it is sampled. helped propel their growing fame. That initial experience lin­ On the album, they came up with gers, and by definition can a different version of the song. Some Fnever be repeated. Jiulian Zhenren, were wowed by its creativity while a four­piece rock band from Lian­ others said they still prefer the pre­ ping county, Guangdong province, vious version which they first sang had their first taste of fame on a cold on the show. night on Nov 10, 2018. As a harsh “We won’t repeat what we do,” Ouy­ wind blew outside they played up a ang explains of their motto. “Explor­ storm to win the Original Band ing different sounds excites us.” Contest, co­organized by leading Another song from the album is music streaming platform Xiami titled Six Million Elites, which is and Taiwan­based Rock Records. also the name of their nationwide The fans inside the packed hall tour. Ouyang wrote the song based were raising the roof as the band on his own experience upon gradua­ delivered original and passionate tion from college in 2014, when he songs and lyrics. Named after Jiulian was one of China’s “over 6 million Mountain, a natural landmark of fresh college graduates”. their hometown, the band sang in “I looked for jobs and was full of the local Hakka dialect. Fans were hope. A fresh new chapter opened in still able to absorb the meanings of my life. The song is dedicated to the songs, as the emotion of the band young people who shared a similar resonated with the audience. experience,” he says. “When I saw the band perform Trumpeter­vocalist Mai, 28, also onstage, the band members were notes that the band’s songs are nar­ young and their eyes were bright as rative, which distinguishes it from if lit with fire,” says veteran promot­ other groups. The sound of the er Huang Liaoyuan, who emerged trumpet adds a deeper touch, which from retirement to help the group to “conjures up a different musical pic­ launch their career. He adds that he ture”. In some songs, Mai narrates “had not seen that kind of courage, the lyrics either as a monologue or passion and eagerness for rock as a response to Ouyang’s singing, music for many years”. which dramatizes the vibe of the Two years on, the band is set to songs. release its debut album, Amin, on Ouyang had worked as a designer Dec 25. The first song from the new at a film and television company in album, titled Teen Spirit, was Shenzhen, Guangdong province, released on Nov 10, the same date Fabulous four stay before returning to his hometown in that the band was crowned cham­ 2016 to teach art at a local primary pion of the contest in 2018. school. “It’s amazing to look back on the As a young father, he wrote a past two years and to think about song, titled Daddy Wishes I Was a how far we’ve come,” says lead vocal­ Son, which was inspired by a con­ ist­guitarist Ouyang Haopeng, 28, versation he had with a friend. Ouy­ better known as Along among the true to roots ang recalls that his friend had a fans, adding that they are “still newborn daughter but seemed digesting and trying to keep up with unhappy when he shared the news. the pace” as it has all happened so Band tunes into fame with competition win and prepares to tour “Why do some people still hold the fast. Ouyang and other band mem­ outdated mindset of favoring a boy bers — trumpeter­vocalist Mai Hai­ nationwide after its debut album release, Chen Nan reports. over a girl? I was surprised to know peng (better known as Amai), how deeply rooted gender bias is in bassist Ye Wanli (better known as people’s thinking, even among the Wanli) and drummer Li Lei (better younger generation,” Ouyang adds. known as Chuimi) — were inter­ Rainy Day completes the album viewed by China Daily at leading as its last song, in which children music company Modern Sky, where left behind by migrant workers are they recorded the songs from their the focus, and it laments how they debut album. miss their parents on rainy days. They have not let fame go to their In a previous interview Ouyang heads. They are still living and and Mai conducted with veteran TV working in Lianping. Both Ouyang news anchor Bai Yansong, they took and Mai are teachers at local prima­ him to the schools where they teach. ry and middle schools. Ye runs a “There are some students whose musical instrument store, which parents work in bigger cities. They serves as the band’s rehearsal stu­ cannot see their parents. As teach­ dio. The drummer Li lives in Beijing. ers, we want to help them,” Mai said They travel back and forth at week­ in the interview. He is a music ends to rehearse and perform. teacher and is keen on introducing They’ve been in Beijing since ear­ his students to various kinds of ly last month for the album release Top: Jiulian Zhenren, a four­piece rock band from Lianping county, Guangdong province, performs at the Strawberry Music Festival in music. and rehearsals for their upcoming Beijing on Oct 5, which was organized by leading Chinese music company Modern Sky. Above: The band members (from left) are lead The band members agree that nationwide tour that will kick off on vocalist­guitarist Along, trumpeter­vocalist Amai, drummer Chuimi, and bassist Wanli. PHOTOS BY ZHOU CHEN / FOR CHINA DAILY they have a long way to go before Dec 26 in Beijing and take in 21 cit­ they achieve the status of the groups ies until March 2021. they look up to. They refer to the “We look forward to the tour the original plan was to release as a teenager, who feels direction­ debut album as a closure of their because of our fans. We enjoy the three songs about Amin as a trilogy. less and becomes rebellious, trying early experience as a new band and atmosphere of performing live — it However, they decided to develop to transform, or redefine, himself in look set for the next phase of their is intimate and raw,” says Ouyang. the character into a full story. We look forward to the tour because of our adolescence. The second song, Teen journey, already planning the band’s The idea of releasing the debut “The ambitious young man repre­ Spirit, expresses his ambition to next musical step. “We won’t contin­ album started a year ago. The 12 sents all of us. We all experience sim­ fans. We enjoy the atmosphere of launch a successful career by find­ ue Amin’s stories again on the next songs on the album tell the story of a ilar emotions as we grow up, so the performing live — it is intimate and raw.” ing a job in a bigger city to make his album, but will come up with new young man, named Amin, from his listeners will see themselves parents proud of him. ideas,” says Ouyang. teenage years to his adulthood. The through the songs,” Ouyang says. Ouyang Haopeng, 28, lead vocalist­guitarist Teen Spirit is no stranger to fans. band first introduced the character A song, titled Nightwalkers, of Jiulian Zhenren rock band The band played the track during its Contact the writer at of Amin during the 2018 contest and opens the album. It portrays Amin debut performance — at the Big [email protected] It felt the right thing to do for craftswoman weaving her way

By DENG ZHANGYU with my grandma. I also enjoy the dates back hundreds of years, in [email protected] hands­on process of felting, ” says the China,” says Ni, adding that many 32­year­old who works for a felt stu­ craftsmen quit the job because their On one level, of course, she felt, in dio with Shanghai Art and Design felt products were seen as outdated. so many ways, that it was the right Academy. Last year, Ni won a prize to visit thing to do. This was a moment when Ni’s passion for felt comes from her Paris and enjoy a three­month stay an emotion and a material coincided. childhood living in a village in Anhui there to learn and communicate with With a genuine love of felt, four years province with her grandparents. She young artists from across the world. ago, jewelry designer Ni Lingling learned jewelry design and obtained The prize was co­funded by Prix visited a village in Dali, Yunnan prov­ her bachelor’s degree at the Shanghai YISHU 8, a nonprofit art organiza­ ince, which is known for its tradition­ Art and Design Academy. But work­ tion, and the Golden Phoenix Art al techniques in making the compact ing on cold, sharp, pointed gems did Fund. It was established last year to wool, to find a teacher. not fulfill Ni’s desire to shape warm support young craftsmen like Ni to However, she found that only a few things by hand. She wanted to feel the take part in exchange projects in oth­ locals still used the traditional craft, satisfaction of making something er countries. which had been passed down from from start to finish. Ni Min, who works with Prix their ancestors. Ni decided there and For around four years following YISHU 8, says they awarded Ni then to take matters into her own her graduation, Ni taught herself felt Lingling because the judging panel hands. techniques. To learn more about the was moved by her genuine passion Proof of her dedication and skill history and technique of felt, Ni visit­ and love for the craft. Felt artist Ni Lingling introduces one of the pieces on show at an are on display at an ongoing show at ed a village in Dali, Yunnan province, “It’s rare for a young person to take ongoing exhibition in Beijing that runs until Dec 12. Daqian Contemporary Art Center in in 2016, where she became an it upon themselves to visit different PHOTOS PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Beijing. It features more than 70 felt apprentice to an old craftsman villages just to better learn and creations that she has made in the whose family has used traditional understand an old craft,” he says. past three years, including scarves, techniques to produce the fabric for Lei Geye, co­founder of Golden with regards to her in use of mate­ art as a way of taking notes and hats, tapestries, jewelry and other generations. Phoenix Art Fund, says Ni Lingling’s rials for felt making. For instance, recording her daily ideas or emotions. accessories. “Their techniques are very simple works are creative and warm. She she mixes leaves, twigs, wine caps “It’s my own way of writing a diary. The exhibits are all made using and traditional, only involving power adds that the young felter is good at and pieces of ceramic into her felt These felt works record my feelings traditional techniques, such as of one’s limbs, not machines. The making fashionable and beautiful creations — things she gathered at that moment,” Ni Lingling says. rolling, pressing or twisting the craft filled me with awe,” says Ni, who things that can be used in daily life. while going about her daily life, Right after her show opened on wool with other suitable textile stayed at the village for a month, mak­ Some of Ni Lingling’s art pieces such as visiting a market or going Nov 25, she returned to her day job in material through the application ing felt products by hand every day. that were on display in Beijing to a friend’s party. Shanghai. of moisture or heat, causing the She was told that all the villagers were done at the beginning of the And the colors of pieces created in She says she will try more materi­ different fibers to mat together to From top: A felted hat and a used to be felters, but only two fami­ year in Paris. Paris are more vivid and bright com­ als and approaches in felt making as create a smooth surface or achieve small­sized tapestry featuring a lies were still making felt products Ni Lingling says that meeting pared with her previous work, which well as helping to train craftsmen in artistic patterns. piece of ceramic and a wine cap when she visited the village earlier with musicians, dancers and art­ usually just featured the wool’s origi­ Yunnan and Qinghai provinces, “The wool used in felt is very warm, on display at artist Ni Lingling’s this year. ists from across the world has nal hue. where some villages still favor such reminding me of my childhood living current exhibition in Beijing. “I want to revive the craft, which opened here eyes to a new world She regards the making of her felt felting skills.