Young singers, old songs. Traditional music given a modern makeover. These are the lifelines that are keeping old folk songs evergreen in China. Chen Nan looks at the talents at work and sees how young blood infuses old songs with new life.
For two hours, she stood on the stage at the National Center of Performing Arts in Beijing (NCPA) last night, belting out a repertoire of songs as old as the hills. But the singer is a radiant 29-year-old, and at the peak of her career. Soprano Lei Jia has just finished a solo recital, which she titled Tunes of Revival.
These folk songs, known as min ge, are all part of common culture, popular at the grassroots, coming from all over the country, incorporating the cultures of regional and ethnic groups. They have been sung for generations, passed on simply through word of mouth.
But in these days of multiple musical choices, they are under threat, in danger of being discarded by new generations addicted to Western beats and modern pop. Young people complain the songs are slow and boring.
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