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In a joint performance in April by Charles Riley and Ron Miles, audiences inside a packed hall at University of North Carolina, watched the American duo's street dance moves that originated in the 1980s. Accompanying the dancers at the show was the unfamiliar sound of the sheng, which was played by Wu Tong.
Wu, 43, produced a vibrating sound with the at least 3,000-year-old wind instrument in step with the fast-paced dance numbers.
The musician, who comes from a prominent family of makers of such musical instruments in Beijing, has spent decades giving the sheng a modern relevance.
"What attracts me most about mixing the sound of the sheng with other art styles is not only the creative process but also an interactive one," says Wu.
One of his most recent crossover projects was performing with celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, which was founded in 1998.
In the latest album released on April 22 by Ma and his ensemble, titled Sing Me Home, the sixth album by the Grammy-nominated group, Wu contributed with his sheng performance and singing.
It is the first Silk Road Ensemble album to be launched in July on the Chinese mainland.
"Throughout the Silk Road Ensemble's travels and performances, we have come to understand the wealth of creative potential that exists when cultures intersect," says Ma.
"The music composed, arranged and performed by members for Sing Me Home demonstrates the power of curiosity, evolving traditions and cultural exchanges."
In Going Home, a song from the album, which reinvents the wistful melody from the slow movement of a Dvorak symphony, American banjo player Abigail Washburn sang with Wu in Chinese and English.
The sheng player also performed in an arrangement of American classic folk song Little Birdie, along with Grammy-nominated singer Sarah Jarosz.
"Being a member of the Silk Road Ensemble is an important part of my life," says Wu, who joined the ensemble since it was founded.
Although he started to learn the instrument in childhood, Wu didn't fall in love with its sounds until he was 11 years old, when he first improvised with the sheng.
After being enrolled at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing as a sheng student in 1990, Wu and his classmates formed Lunhui, a rock band that played Chinese instruments and the guitar.
Back then Wu sought every possible way to break the mild temperament of the sheng. But as he grew older, he discovered more about the spirit of the ancient instrument and devoted his time to linking it with the contemporary world.
This year has so far been fruitful for the musician. Besides collaborative projects, he also released two solo albums, Wu Tong's Views - Spirit, comprising vocals, and Wu Tong's Views - Cloud, an instrumental one. He has also documented his work with world musicians, including Ma, by publishing the book Wu Tong's Views.
chennan@chinadaily.com.cn
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Wu Tong gives the sheng a new stage with his projects. Provided To China Daily |
