Sino-Musicality
Nanning, China, March 9, 2010
Salaroche

There isn't a one-size-fits-all way to describe musicians across the world. Some behave in a certain way, some others behave in a different way. Culture can influence a musician's behavior just as much as it can influence the behavior of any person practicing any other profession.

The Chinese Musicians/Agriculture-students pictured below have the same salient personality traits I've seen in most of the other Chinese people I've met: An unassuming demeanor, an inclination to listen and, above all, a willingness to talk to foreigners.

I met these four lads as they were loosely practicing together at a park on the University Campus. I invited them to my place so that I could record some of the music I'd heard them play and they agreed rather happily. The result of that recording session are the two songs available below.

The first song, which is called "Meeting Relatives in a Mountain Village," was written by Jian Guangyi, a famous Chinese bamboo-flute player; it was performed by Luo Qi Pen, the second guy from the left in picture No.1. Luo is pictured sitting immediately to my left in picture No.2 and sitting by himself in picture No.3. Luo doesn't only play Chinese flutes very well, he's also a very good flute maker. Picture No.4 shows some of the flutes he's made.

The second song, which is called "Jasmine," is the second national song in China. It was performed by Wang Yan Xiang, the guy sitting on the far right in both picture No.1 and No.2. Qu Jia Zhong is sitting on the far left in both those pictures and Li Yuizheng is sitting to Wang's left.

The picture named "NanningFlute" shows Salaroche as the happy recipient of a beautiful locally-made hand-crafted Chinese Flute. The small, framed design hanging on the wall beside the wall lamp is a good-bye gift from some of my Vietnamese students. It was hand-crafted in Hanoi and it is entirely made of Bamboo.

To listen to "Meeting Relatives in a Mountain Village" please click on the title.
To listen to "Jasmine" please click on the title.

To view larger versions of the photos just click on any of them and keep clicking "next."