Seven Days - Dadawa

It was just in my last post that I said that Chinese popular music isn't really my thing. There are, of course, exceptions. A long time favourite is , known in the west as Dadawa. As far as I was aware, she had released three albums in 12 years and I have them all. I also have various bits and pieces with her guesting on vocals (even on an album by traditional Irish band, The Chieftains). I'm a big fan. So, imagine my shock and horror when I discovered today that a fourth was released back in August and I missed it!

She was discovered, years ago, by the highly respected Professor He Xuntian of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and they have collaborated ever since. A fuller biography is here. (In China? Click here.) The pair have been heavily influenced by Tibetan music, though neither are TIbetan. (Zhu was born in Guangzhou, educated in Hunan and lives in Shanghai.)

So, having discovered the existence of a new CD, I abandoned all plans for the day and hot-footed it acrosss town to the CD emporium. I thought I would have to really search for this item. She is not that popular here (WHY?). To my amazement the first CD I looked at, in the first shop I went to, was exactly what I wanted! Spooky!

The new CD has lost the Tibetan influence and seems more based on traditional Chinese music, but still with that 'new age' feeling and incredible, haunting vocals from Ms Zhu.

tags: china  guangxi  hunan  liuzhou  中国  广西  柳州  湖南  朱哲琴  dadawa  music  tibetan  zhu zhe qin  world music  

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