Building a Bridge with Music, Shanghai Light Music Troupe in Kashgar: 100 Performances of Instruments | Actors | Kashgar
A bus shuttles through the towns and villages of Kashgar, filled with musical instruments and stage equipment, as well as a group of "artistic light cavalry" - actors from the Shanghai Light Music Troupe - from 5000 kilometers away. From July to September, they carried the mission of "cultural prosperity" and completed the "100 Light Music Frontier Tour" plan in local schools, hospitals, communities, and troops. They walked and performed all the way, and wherever they went, there was always a group of enthusiastic local audiences who responded with applause and singing.
So far, the Shanghai Light Music Troupe has dispatched three batches of 49 performers to perform 52 times on more than 30000 square kilometers of land in Yecheng and Zepu counties, covering nearly 30000 audiences, more than 10 art training sessions, and nearly a thousand students. In September, the orchestra will go to Kashgar again, bringing more than 50 performances in Bachu and Shache counties. At the same time, local artists in Kashgar will be invited to jointly create and perform the Silk Road -10th Anniversary Concert of the "the Belt and Road" Initiative, and build a bridge between Shanghai and Kashgar with music.
A performance that cannot be stopped by a sandstorm
A performance in Alpadon Village, Kashgar Zepu County was hit by a sudden sandstorm. The entire village was quickly shrouded in sand and dust, and the air was filled with a fishy smell. However, the villagers below did not leave. "If the audience doesn't leave, we won't leave either," said Wang Shun, deputy head of the Shanghai Light Music Troupe
Li Linfei, a vocal performer from the band, still remembers that at that time, the strong wind swept through the yellow sand, blowing up all the carpets on the stage, making people seem to be walking in the desert with only a few dozen meters of visibility. "As soon as I started singing, the sand got stuck and I was constantly worried about breaking the sound. But the smiles and enthusiasm of the villagers below gave us strength to continue singing."
Transportation is also a challenge. In Yecheng and Zepu, the Shanghai Light Music Troupe covers over 20 villages, with long distances and winding journeys. One day, they set off from Yecheng County, climbed over mountains, and headed towards the Xinzang Highway Station. The "Heavenly Road" is difficult, and we often encounter sheep occupying the road, so we can only queue up and pass slowly. I encountered a traffic accident on my return journey and was stuck for three hours before returning to Yecheng.
On the busiest day, each team completed a total of 7 performances. The on-site conditions are limited, and actors can rest as long as there is a small stool, change clothes as long as there is a shed. Sometimes, buses also transform into temporary changing rooms. Eating and putting on makeup on the roadside has become a common practice. When vehicles cannot enter the performance venue, everyone carries various equipment on their shoulders and hands. Vocal performer Luo Yu said, "We have experienced various performance environments, and in the future, we can be very proud to say that there is no performance that we cannot perform."
In order to participate in the "Hundred Light Music Frontier Tour", the Shanghai Light Music Troupe has carefully prepared more than 100 songs, including "The Girl in Dabancheng", "A Cup of Fine Wine", and "In That Distant Place" full of Xinjiang style. Familiar melodies always resonate with local audiences. In addition, the band also brought works such as "Beautiful China" and "Singing Mountain Songs to the Party Again", and together with local folk artists, adapted and performed works such as "Golden Shuttle and Silver Shuttle to Youth" and "Beautiful Place".
Whenever the familiar melody of "Me and My Motherland" is played, it always triggers a grand choir, and the audience dances traditional Xinjiang dances to the melody. This song, sung from the Huangpu River to the Yarkand River, from the Bund to the Gobi Desert, from the coastal areas to the border areas, always evokes people's common emotions and inspires the deepest cultural identity.
Whether on stage or off stage, music or life, emotions happen every day. Every time they arrive in a village, local residents prepare delicious food for the band members early on, such as hand cooked rice in their own pot, lamb skewers grilled on their own stove, freshly picked apricots, plums, mulberries, etc. in front and behind their houses. "It's been hard for you to come this far. You can only perform when you're full."
After a campus concert, the Shanghai Light Music Troupe also held a "football friendship match" with the Shanghai Municipal Front Command for Supporting Xinjiang Work. The actors put down their microphones and instruments, took off their dresses and changed into jerseys, sweating profusely under the scorching sun. The student cheerleading team shouted "Cheer up". A game is not yet enjoyable, everyone has agreed to play again next time.
Planting the seeds of art in the hearts of children
On the playground of the Red Army Primary School in Yecheng County, a third grade Uyghur girl named Reyila and Shanghai Light Music Troupe vocal performer Xiao Rui sang a song called "Hero's Anthem". Reyila's small figure and clear singing voice have left an unforgettable impression on Xiao Rui to this day.
"I found that Reyila's tone, intonation, rhythm, and musical sense are all very good. During the break between performances, she held my hand and communicated with me about music. The love and longing for music in her eyes deeply moved me." Xiao Rui left her phone number, and the little girl quickly contacted her to chat about her life and beloved music. A heroic hymn created a lasting bond between the two.
Dong Deping, the planner of the "100 Light Music Frontier Tour" project and the head of the Shanghai Light Music Troupe, has set a goal for this trip: 100 performances, 1000 person training, and 10000 audience. The important purpose of this trip is to discover and cultivate local music talents in Kashgar. In addition to his performance, he led the actors to take inspiration and teach music loving children at Yecheng County Red Army Primary School, Yecheng County First Primary School, Yecheng Second Middle School, Zepu County Second Middle School, and Zepu County Fifth Middle School.
In the music classroom of Yecheng Red Army Primary School, there are dozens of electronic pianos and trumpets that are rarely played. The principal told Dong Deping, "We have professional musical instruments, but we suffer from the lack of professional teachers." Therefore, the band adjusted the teaching content, with keyboard player Yang Hongbin, trumpet players Qin Weijun and Tao Zhirong, guitar player Zhou Renjie bringing music theory and instrument courses to the students, and musical performer Zhu Zirong giving them body dance classes.
"The children here have great talents," said vocal actor Li Zaiyao. He wrote notes on the blackboard and taught the students how to train their breath. Orchestra conductor Yu Jing'an also formed a choir for the children on a temporary basis, teaching them Akabela singing techniques. The children were extremely excited when they heard their own voice and the voices of their friends merge into a wonderful harmony.
Courses related to traditional Chinese culture are highly popular among children. Drummer Liu Qi teaches children to practice calligraphy; As a disciple of the storytelling performance artist Shan Tianfang, Dong Deping teaches children how to read storytelling. "I didn't expect Uyghur children to learn storytelling so quickly," Dong Deping felt relieved when he saw Uyghur teenagers dressed in long robes performing with great composure
After leaving Kashgar, Xiao Rui still cared about Reyila from the Red Army Elementary School. "I will use online teaching to guide her in singing, hoping to help her realize her music dream." Like Xiao Rui, many actors still have feelings for Kashgar after returning to Shanghai and provide remote tutoring to children through cloud classrooms, online art sharing, and other methods.
In the future, the Shanghai Light Music Troupe plans to organize frontline performers to provide long-term professional skills training to students with artistic talent in local schools through various methods such as training in Shanghai, on-site training, and remote training, planting a seed in the hearts of more children.
Sing the same song together, connecting each other tightly
The Hundred Light Music Frontier Tour is a two-way journey of "making friends through music". Vocal performer Huang Xiao remembers that during a performance in Jinguo Town, Yecheng County, Ali Mujiang, a villager from Harmony Village, volunteered to sing a song on stage. Ali Mujiang is an electrician who enjoys singing, dancing, and playing the guitar. Before taking the stage, he shyly asked Huang Xiao, "Can we invite you to sing this song together?" Huang Xiao happily agreed and sang "Why Are Flowers So Red" with Ali Mujiang. Later, during a performance at the Yecheng Integrated Media Center, the band invited Ali Mujiang to perform again. With Huang Xiao's guidance and joint rehearsals, the two's performances became increasingly harmonious.
During a performance by the border defense forces, the electronic band of Shanghai Light Music Troupe collaborated with the "Thin Skin Walnuts" band composed of soldiers to sing a song called "Truly Love You". Thin skinned walnuts are a specialty of Yecheng, and rows of walnut trees are a beautiful local scenery. The band named after "Thin skinned walnuts" also showcases the soldiers' steadfastness in rooting in the border and defending their country.
Band keyboard player Gao Xuefeng said, "They are all young warriors who have just been rotated from the Karakoram Mountains at an altitude of 5000 meters. We spent less than an hour rehearsing 'Truly Love You', and this group of 'cutest people' showcased their youth, enthusiasm, vitality, and love for music."
Before going to Kashgar, Tu Bahai, an 82 year old art consultant of the Shanghai Light Music Troupe, once told the members, "Performance is also a way to gather inspiration. Such opportunities are rare. You need to go deep into the masses, collect more materials, and when you come back, I will help you write a song. Next time, I will sing it to them." Along the way, the young members of the band constantly searched for music inspiration.
In Yecheng, the keyboard player Yang Hongbin of the band conducted a music experiment with the former leader of Yecheng County Song and Dance Troupe and yangqin player Elken Mighti. They boldly integrated one of the representative works of Zhu Fengbo, the founder of Shanghai Light Music Troupe and soprano singer, "Jin Suo and Yin Suo", with the Xinjiang folk song "Youth Dance", which has both Shanghai style characteristics and Xinjiang style, making it refreshing. Dong Deping named his new work "Golden Shuttle and Silver Shuttle to Youth", and through musical exchange and co creation, they quickly brought each other closer.
"When will you come again?" Many locals ask after each performance or teaching session. The actors of Shanghai Light Music Troupe promise: "We will definitely come back!" In September, the second round of the "100 Light Music Frontier Tour" event is about to start.
"Performance after performance in Kashgar has enabled the actors to transform from theater actors to artistic light cavalry. Everyone has united to sing for the people and create for the people." Dong Deping said, "We hope to accurately implement the work of cultural moistening Xinjiang and reach the hearts of the people. We also hope that through the creation of the Silk Road - the 10th Anniversary Concert of the the Belt and Road Initiative, the Shanghai people can better understand Kashgar, enhance the national sentiment of Shanghai and Kashgar, and promote the inheritance and development of Chinese culture."
