Music Talks

In this episode, we journey through the majestic realms of China’s ancient Bianzhong Bells, which are grand percussion instruments dating back to the 11th century BC. Join us to uncover the bells’ extraordinary design, dual-tone capabilities, and their role in unveiling the rich tapestry of China’s musical and ceremonial culture.

In this episode, we unravel the enchanting story of the Jiahu Bone Flutes, or Gudi, an ancient instrument that emerged over 8,000 years ago. Rediscovered in the 1980s, these flutes illuminate a rich musical heritage that has long been forgotten...

In this episode, we dive into the distinctive music of the Yi people, the sixth largest ethnic minority in China. In 2019, two Gen-Z musicians, Ji'er Chisha and Liu Junlin, embarked on a journey to the Yi ethnic areas in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces to collect folk songs. In March, 2023, they released an album featuring a collection of songs with strong Yi characteristics based on what they had seen, heard and felt during the three-year journey.

Our guest today is Liao Nini, a guqin enthusiast, a teacher and also an online influencer who has been actively promoting the ancient Chinese zither over the past decade. With a history of over 3,000 years, the guqin is one of the oldest plucked instruments in China. Apart from her proficiency in the guqin, she is also skilled in playing the guzheng, another traditional Chinese plucked zither with 21 strings. In some of her music videos, she blends the sounds of both instruments to create a distinctive musical style.

Duanwu Festival, better known as the Dragon Boat Festival, falls on June 22 this year. With a history of over 2,000 years, it's celebrated annually on the fifth day of the fifth month on the Chinese lunar calendar. To mark this special occasion, we invite several young musicians from across the country to share with us how the festival is reflected in music.

In this episode, we are joined by a music producer and DJ from Shanghai who goes by the name M3SSIAH. Considered one of the early pioneers of China's electronic music scene, the musician trailblazed a style known as China Epic EDM by blending traditional Chinese elements and symphony into electronic music. Today, the artist brings us several pieces of his original works.

In this episode, we introduce a lesser-known musical treasure from ancient China called the xun. Also known as the Chinese ocarina, it's a vessel flute that is often made of clay and is shaped like a pear with multiple holes dotted on the surface. Over the past decades, a number of artists have endeavored to bring the ancient gem back to life, with Wu Suxin being one of them. Today, Wu joins us and shares some of his original xun music.

In this episode, we dive into the world of the double bass. For those who're not familiar with the instrument, it looks a lot like the cello but is larger in size and comes with a lower pitch. Our guest today is double bassist Li Shaonan from Beijing who aspires to bring healing music to a wider audience.

The shakuhachi is one of the most iconic wind instruments in Japan. It's an ancient bamboo flute with five finger holes and is held vertically. In terms of its origin, it's widely believed that the bamboo flute made its way to Japan from China around the 8th century. Our guest today is Chinese shakuhachi player Fang Guanghui. In this episode, Fang shares his musical encounter with the bamboo flute and a few shakuhachi solo pieces.

Dera Tserang is an ethnic Tibetan musician based in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province. Originally a member of the Tibetan band Nyima, Dera has been dedicated to creating world music with Tibetan characteristics. In this episode, Dera joins us and shares some of his handpicked songs.