Music Talks

Previously, we introduced to you a grand piece titled "The Epic of Manas," which narrates the story of a Kirgiz hero called Manas and his seven generations of descendants leading their people in preserving peace, unity and protecting their way of life. With 230,000 lines in total, it is reputed as the encyclopedia of the culture of the Kirgiz ethnic people living in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. These days, there have been many efforts to preserve the 1000-year cultural heritage in the modern world and pass it on to future generations. In this episode, we will get a glimpse of how it is protected nowadays and we will certainly have an auditory feast of the epic.

Valentine's Day is probably one of the most awaited days for romantic couples to declare their love and affection for each other. In case you missed the special day this year, or you want to seize every opportunity to express your feelings, I have an idyllic surprise for you. For those who don't know, Chinese Valentine's Day, or the Qixi Festival, is here and love is in the air! In this episode, we will bring you several pieces to immerse ourselves in the atmosphere of romance. We will also share with you a bittersweet love story behind the origins of the festival and a couple of romantic legends to mark this day.

“The Epic of Manas,” similar to the Homeric tales in the West, narrates the stories of a Kirgiz hero called Manas and his seven generations of descendants leading their people to fight against invaders. The grand song is considered a significant encyclopedia of the life of the Kirgiz ethnic people living in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In this episode, we will get-up close with Tuohenali Tuxunnali, an inheritor of singing this epic. He will share with us several famed excerpts of “The Epic of Manas.”

The Hong Kong String Orchestra was founded by renowned violinist Yao Jue in 2013, with an aim to allow young musicians to pursue their dreams. In recent years, it has released several new works, adapted from famed Chinese songs.

Yao believes it is important to infuse the distinctive characteristics of Chinese culture in their artistic creativity, as it is the root of their identity. In this episode, we will get up-close with Yao Jue, who will share with us how she boosts cultural ties between the mainland and Hong Kong and how she uses music to strengthen social bonds.

Do you have any favorite songs that have been playing for years or even decades? Hearing the familiar melody from the past has the tendency to stir strong emotions and transport us back in time. Singers also have their all-time favorites. Apart from adding them to playlists, they cover these songs to pay tribute to the classics or to the artists.

In this edition, Wang Wen, who has been covering Cantonese pop songs over the past decade, is our guest. His covers are more soothing that are pleasant to listen to after a busy day or during a sleepless night.

Today, Wang will share with us his journey to be a singer and some of his handpicked covers.

Cantopop is a contraction of Cantonese pop music mostly created by Hong Kong artists. It was phenomenal in the 1980s and 1990s when it almost dominated the Chinese pop music scene across the world.

Although its popularity nowadays has declined, some golden oldies are just too classic to let go of and some argue that they will never get old even for generations to come.

In this edition, we bring you several Cantonese classics by representative Hong Kong singers. We will also hear from their fans about their intriguing stories.

There are different types of hammered dulcimers across the globe, sharing similar tonality and appearance. The Chinese dulcimer is called the Yangqin.

Over the past decade, Liu Yuening, a Yangqin professor with the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, has committed herself to using music as a bridge to enhance intercultural communication.

In 2009, she spent nine months in India to learn the Indian dulcimer, classical music and culture, and also introduced the Chinese dulcimer to the nation as she gave lectures and performed in local cultural activities.

Many are probably familiar with the famed violin concerto "The Butterfly Lovers."

Incorporating elements of a popular Chinese regional opera and played with the violin, the masterpiece was originally an experiment to compose a violin piece with Chinese musical style.

Zhan Ning is a violin performer and an associate professor with the Shenyang Conservatory of Music. She explains the purpose of localizing the violin is to make Chinese violin pieces with distinctive Chinese features known to the world. Today, she brings us several remarkable Chinese violin works.

Many of you are familiar with Michael Jackson's epic single "Earth Song." The track sees the artist sending out a wakeup-call about the devastation of nature caused by mankind, from overexploitation of natural resources, to endless wars and to killing of animals.

The late musical genius wasn't the only one using the power of music to confront the climate crisis. More musicians worldwide are expressing their concerns about the pressing issues through their works. Composer Deng Weibiao is a leading figure of New Age Music in China.

Today he brings us several songs from his album "Rivers - Our Lifeblood," each portraying a famed river across the nation. It’s hoped that his music will raise awareness on environmental conservation and encourage more people to reduce their impact on the environment.

The Dragon Boat Festival was the first Chinese festival inscribed onto UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009. It is observed on the Fifth day of the fifth month on China's traditional Lunar Calendar.

Some century- old customs are still observed during the festival today, such as the dragon boat race, diverse folk art performances, and eating zongzi— a type of glutinous rice dumpling warped in leafs.

Today, the director and chief conductor of the prestigious China National Traditional Orchestra Zhao Cong and Liu Sha will share some music that reflect those traditions.