Music Talks

Do you usually celebrate Valentine’s Day? I believe that some of the sweetest memories that many of us have of our significant others are associated with this day.

If by any chance you missed the opportunity to mark this special day earlier in the year, not to worry. We are all getting a second chance to make up for it, because China’s equivalent of Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, which is called Qixi Festival.

In this episode, we will share with you the story behind the origins of the festival and also bring you several love songs to mark this special day.

Zhang Dianying is one of the most influential composers in China, which has witnessed, taken part in and helped guide the development of classical music in the nation over the past half century.

During a career spanning nearly 50 years, Zhang took on various roles including teaching at one of the country's most prestigious conservatories of music and composing soundtracks for documentaries, films and television.

In this edition, we revisit Zhang's childhood to find out how it shaped his choice of career. He also talks about his first mentor in music—the man who discovered the potential and talent of a youthful Zhang.

Guangzhou or Canton is the capital city of Guangdong province and the metropolis in southern China. Located on the Pearl River, Guangzhou has over 2,200 years of history and was a central terminus of the maritime Silk Road. Today, let's join Mr Huang Yicheng, producer and songwriter of the album 'Songs of Canton', and embark on a musical tour in Guangzhou.

What does it mean to be ‘Punk, Indie, or Underground’ in music today? To find out, listen in on a candid conversation with Music Dish owner Eric, as he shares his insights on China’s New Age music industry and emerging musical trajectory.

“Hào-zǐ” is the shout that naturally comes out of the mouths of manual laborers as they exert themselves in the course of their work. There are different haozi depending on the places of work. The songs we are about to hear are traditional haozi sung by fishermen in the Zhoushan area of Zhejiang Province, in eastern China. Today, we have Hong Guozhuang, lead vocalist and an inheritor of the haozi tradition, talking about the life, work, and songs of the fishermen of Zhoushan.

Situated in an oasis in the northwestern China’s Gansu-Xinjiang desert region, for over a millennia, Dunhuang has been a major stop for weary Silk Road travellers. It was the first town of trade encountered by foreign merchants entering China from the west. Dunhuang is best known for its Mogao Caves, which contains arts of various genres, such as architecture, paintings, literature, and music etc.

Ye Yunchuan, music producer and founder of Rhymoi Music, said that in terms of Chinese art and culture, Dunhuang has been so pivotal that it must not be neglected. In 2017, Ye completed a classical novel album, titled ‘Moonlight Glow over Dunhuang’. In this album, inspired by ancient musical records and scores, 7 renowned female Chinese instrumentalists were gathered together to infuse the spirit of ancient Dunhuang culture in an epic performance.

Zhang Dianying is the influential composer in the nation that has witnessed, taken part in and helped guide the development of classical music in China over the past half century.

Born in 1939, Zhang is one of the earliest composers to become active in the years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, which has written over 200 works during a career spanning over 40 years. Many of his compositions remain great favorites with the music-loving public.

In this episode, we'll get up close and personal with the 82-year old composer, with some of his reputed works and stories behind them.

Do you know which festival it is when people race boats and have glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaves and stuffed with fillings?

It is the Dragon Boat Festival, one of the grandest traditional festivals in China and the first festival in the country to be put on UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Outside of China, the festival is observed in many other countries across the world—such as Japan, Germany, the U.K., the U.S. and Canada, just to name a few.

In this special edition, we'll get up close and personal with several famed instrumentalists who will bring us melodic tunes that reflect the fabled origins of the Dragon Boat Festival and discuss the customs that prevail in China during this festival period.

Guo Yazhi is widely known as THE best suona player in Asia. Apart from the Suona, he can also play more than ten instruments, including the guanzi, piccolo, ocarina, saxophone ... and even a ‘leaf’. In 2018, he performed with a team of world-class instrumentalists and composers, and covered internationally recognised songs for the album ‘Endless Journey’.

The Classic of Mountains and Seas, also known as Shan Hai Jing, is a fabled geographical account of pre-Qin Dynasty China as well as a collection of mythologies. Music producer Ye Yunchuan and composer Zhang Zhao turned some of the most well-known tales into beautiful musical narrative. Today, we are exploring “the Myths of China".

Song Lists:

1. Pangu Separates Heaven and Earth 盘古开天

2. Yao and Shun Discuss Morality 尧舜论道

3. The War on Chiyou 战蚩尤

4. The Peach Banquet 蟠桃会喜宴

5. Kuafu Chases the Sun 夸父追日