This is Shanghai!, The impromptu performance on the roadside in Anhua touched netizens: Romantic Room in the Market | Anhua Road | Shanghai
As night fell, the low tiled house at 73 Anhua Road raised its rolling shutter door, and only a room of over ten square meters was lit with a faint yellow light. The next room is adorned with a red background and yellow text reading "screen changing", with several wires hanging in the air and shared bicycles piled up not far away. On this rudimentary stage, young violinists and cellists are playing against each other. The weather is stuffy and hot, and an old electric fan is spinning desperately. The audience were all sitting on the ground across the street, and there was also a little dog in the audience seat, sticking out its tongue and waiting. The violinist Tu Tu shouted across the road, "We haven't rehearsed before, so we're going to improvise. Please forgive us." Across the street, applause rang out, and the night's improvisation performance on Anhua Road began like this.
The audience sitting on the roadside and a staring little dog
A short video of a few minutes, recording a segment of the roadside performance on the evening of July 7th on Huahua Road. In just two days after its release, it received 800000 views and over 10000 likes. Some people say, "This is a small fortune on the roadside of Shanghai. The simple stage and noisy road have nothing to do with it. They cannot stop the flow and transmission of beauty." Some say, "Life is full of art," while others say, "This is Shanghai.".
The reporter contacted the violinist "Rabbit" in the video and listened to her tell the story behind this roadside performance.
No matter how small the stage is, one should still enjoy the joy of music
Compared to crowded internet famous roads such as Anfu Road and Wukang Road, Anhua Road is an inconspicuous small road. TuTu Tu and her partner only set foot on this road for the first time after receiving an invitation from "Together Social Club". In fact, this small street storefront at 73 Anhua Road is not the first time such a roadside concert has been held.
This is a space that can be described as having nothing to do with it. Cement floor, wooden beams exposed to the outside, mottled walls exposed with bricks and stones, and one wall covered with photos of all sizes. With just two wooden stools and two music stands, it has become a small stage. As vehicles and pedestrians pass by, the sound of cars and footsteps also adds to this improvised ensemble.
Two wooden stools and two music stands, forming a square stage
The 24-year-old rabbit named Deng Yinying graduated from Shanghai Conservatory of Music with a dual major in violin and musical theater. Her professional teacher is Yu Lina, the first performer of the violin concerto "Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai". Her partner, 26 year old cellist Wang Jiayan, is currently a professional cello teacher at Aiju Elementary School.
On the evening of July 7th, the irregular concert on Anhua Road was live streaming
"This is a very romantic thing. It's not a commercial performance, and we haven't considered the size of the stage or whether there's any compensation. Enjoy the fun of playing," said TuTu Tu. That night, the two collaborated on nearly ten tracks, including "Praise of Love", "Cannon", "Fly me to the moon", "A whole new world", "Can't take my eyes off you", etc., many of which were adapted from popular music, and some were improvised based on the current scene and atmosphere.
"The later the response became more and more enthusiastic, and everyone was very enthusiastic. Every farewell had many 'safe' voices, and we were very grateful for everyone's love. We performed several songs on the spot, including the 'improvisation' performance posted in this video. There was no score, but just 'playing' music with emotions." TuTu Tu said.
Why would such a crude roadside performance impress the audience? Some people say, "We need to have a palace level music enjoyment, as well as a casual little romance on the streets and alleys, which is what Shanghai should look like." Others say, "In such an era, everything is moving deeper, things floating on the surface are rapidly collapsing, and things with inner vitality are slowly rising."
Unlimited by style, making classical instruments youthful
There are many residential areas around No. 73 Anhua Road, and some people are worried that such music concerts will disturb the residents. TuTu Tu explained that the music played from 19:00 to 20:00 is not loud, and when vehicles pass by, the sound of cars sometimes outweighs the sound of the music. Although he often performs on different stages and has won awards in international competitions, TuTu Tu said that this is a performance he will remember for a lifetime. "The most rewarding thing is still happiness, not only enjoying the stage for oneself, but also bringing a sense of happiness to community residents and passersby."
TuTu Tu has been interviewed by many journalists in the past two days, which has surprised her greatly. When asked about the names of her and Wang Jiayan's duet, Rabbit Rabbit replied, "We don't have a name yet. Should we choose one now?"
A rabbit playing the violin
However, this concert gave the two an inspiration, as they hoped to perform in more unconventional performances, allowing those who were not accustomed to listening to music to unexpectedly encounter it in their daily lives.
Rabbit and Wang Jiayan, who played violin in elementary school, met at the Shanze Orchestra. This band, born in Shanghai in 2021, is a performance group spontaneously founded by a group of young people out of their love for music. The members have received formal training in classical music and have been influenced by multiple music styles such as jazz, Funk, R&B, rock, Latin, etc. They regularly rehearse and perform, attracting a young audience.
"We are violinists of the 'new-style string music', and we believe that classical instruments can boldly play any style of music, especially modern music. We usually attend ensemble concerts and symphony concerts in major music halls, and also perform in various venues. We are willing to try various styles and explore more possibilities for classical instruments to speak modern languages," said TuTu Tu.
In the future, both the Shanze Orchestra and this young and unnamed duet will continue their musical journey. The rabbit said, "Now, we have many fresh ideas and ideas in our minds, and we look forward to the opportunity to implement them together."
