Singer-songwriters tap into tradition – Xinhua English.news.cn

On a chilly December morning in Beijing, Zhang Ting got up at 6 a.m. and began to dress for her trip to the Summer Palace.

The stylish 28-year-old hip-hop singer-songwriter sat down in front of a mirror and tied her hair in a sleek ponytail.

Two hours later, Zhang, dressed in hanfu, a traditional Chinese garment, arrived at the Summer Palace, an imperial garden established in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

She visited the venue for inspiration for a new song, for which she planned to mix elements of traditional Chinese culture with her own style of music, known as guo feng, or Chinese flavor music.

The total number of online plays of this music in the 12 months from June 2020 more than doubled from around 12 billion to 29 billion, according to Tencent Music Entertainment Group, the leading music and entertainment platform. country online audio.

In the 12 months from June 2020, 51 Chinese pop songs in the guo feng style were played over 100 million times.

Zhang joined a workshop launched by Tencent Musician, a Tencent Music platform aimed at supporting and cultivating original Chinese music and independent musicians from China. Besides the Summer Palace, the workshop took participants to many historical sites in Beijing, including the Old Summer Palace and Xiangshan Mountain.

The three-day activity brought together singer-songwriters from across the country and targeted new songs featuring elements of guo feng, which is particularly popular with young Chinese music lovers.

Zhang, who lives in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, has many fans on social media, who know her by the stage name Ukeyz.

“I had never dressed in hanfu before, and that morning at the Summer Palace, I felt like I was traveling to ancient China. I just followed my intuition to see where I would end up. , musically, at the end of the day,” she says.

When Zhang passed an old building in the palace grounds, a guide told her that it was the Grand Stage of Dehe Garden, the largest ancient stage in China. Overwhelmed by the stunning architecture, Zhang couldn’t help but imagine scenes of artists from ancient China performing on stage.

Soon after, she wrote the song Hong Yu in memory of Liang Hongyu, a famous heroine of the Song Dynasty (960-1279).

Zhang said, “Many female warriors are portrayed in Chinese folk tales, which in turn are transformed into stage roles, especially in Peking opera plays. I have always liked these female roles, which can to be just as good, if not better, than male.Images of these female roles immediately came to mind when I saw the old Summer Palace stage.

Hong Yu was applauded by other musicians at the workshop, including one of the coaches, Billy Koh, a veteran producer and songwriter from Singapore. He worked with Zhang on the song, which will be released soon.

Chinese reality shows have also featured guo feng music. For example, Zhongguo Chaoyin (In China), which premiered on the Youku streaming platform in November, won a fanbase with its creative presentation of traditional Chinese music for young people.

In the show, a diverse range of contemporary musical genres, including hip-hop and rock ‘n’ roll, are combined with elements of traditional Chinese music.

Companies producing popular video games and animations also want to incorporate guo feng music into their products.

For example, in July, when Honor of Kings, one of the best-selling video games from Tencent Games’ TiMi studios, introduced its new character, a female warrior named Yun Ying, veteran pipa player Zhao Cong was invited to interpret a new musical theme. for the character.

Zhao, the principal pipa player of the National Traditional Orchestra of China, wowed fans with her solid playing technique of the traditional instrument, a four-stringed lute with a history of more than 2,000 years.

Using different techniques, such as plucking the strings and sweeping the pick, Zhao vividly portrays Yun Ying, who is beautiful, brave, and armed with a spear.

“One of the reasons why young people spend a lot more time listening to Chinese music is because we are proud of our culture and want to learn more,” said Zhao, who was born into a musical family. from Jilin Province and learned the pipa at a young age with his mother, who also plays the instrument.

“Traditional Chinese music really reflects the typical characteristics of the country, such as its people, dialects and customs, so it’s a great way to learn more about ourselves,” Zhao added.