Sing from the city, sound of the valley

Xiao Juan and Residents from the Valley. [Photo provided to China Daily]

I listened on, and I was amazed to find the leading vocalist, Xiao Juan, has quite a different voice. It is rather ethereal and touching. And the drum beats and sounds of the harmonica that blend in so naturally in the song "I only care about you" just captured my heart. I was led into a world of fantasy, in which I may leave the mortal world behind without losing my connection with it.

I looked for more of their information on Baidu, and I was amazed to find that they have actually formed their band in early 1998. It was amazing that it took me more than a decade to finally notice this band.

"I never really chased success or stardom. I just do what I like every day, that is, singing, and it brings me great happiness and contentment," Xiao Juan said in an interview. This is what she believes in, and what she has practiced through the years.

In fact, Xiao Juan has been performing in Beijing since 1993. Later she met two young people that shared the same passion for music – including her soul mate and husband Li Qiang – and named their band Xiao Juan and Residents from the Valley. They began to have their performances in bars, then as special guests in other people's concerts, and six years from now, they began to hold their own concerts.

This year, 2015, is the sixth year that they have had a theme concert. Entitled About Love, the concert will be held on Chinese Valentine's Day. The members will sing on the five statuses of love, and love of different generations.

In our exclusive interview with Xiao Juan and Residents from the Valley - Li Qiang, Arai Soichiro and Liu Xiaoguang, they talked about their music, and shared their very own understanding on love and their life stories. Below are excerpts from the interview.