——Pingguo Singing Art Troupe’s performance in Australia [South China Morning Post]
South China Morning Post (page 28) 2007-11-01 ■ Cai Limei
Hi, we're going to perform at the Sydney Opera House. "One day in mid-October, the reporter received a text message from Zhao Yu, the leader of the Pingguo Harlem Band, and was still skeptical at the time. Although each member of the Harlem Band has been involved in music for more than 10 years, they have really gained some fame. , but it was only in April last year - at that time they performed on the same stage with famous folk artists such as Jiang Kun and Feng Gong who came to Pingguo to perform. The original song "Moon" attracted the attention of the editor and director of the CCTV Music Channel who was present. .
Later, the Harlequin Band was invited to Beijing to record a 30-minute program, which was broadcast on the CCTV music channel "Folk Song China"; later, it was successively performed at some large-scale concerts in the region. I saw the Harlem Band; during the 2007 Spring Festival, the Harlem Band also took the lead in organizing an "Original Rock Passion Night" concert in Pingguo, from the underground to the ground, from the district to CCTV, and then to the Sydney Opera House. , this musical dream road seems to be unbelievably fast for a young local band.
However, soon, on October 19, the reporter received a message. The band had flown to Australia from Shenzhen. On October 28, I received another call from Zhao Yu: Hi, we are back to watch the opening party of the Folk Song Festival. So, the original sound of Tianlai was reproduced one by one. Causing commotion
On the evening of October 21, the "Messengers of Friendship·Chinese Folk Song Concert" was underway at the world-famous Sydney Opera House Concert Hall after the Guangdong Radio Chorus performed several chorus programs. Huang Yuhong and Wei Xiadi, a female singing duo from Guangxi, appeared in beautiful Zhuang costumes. As soon as they started singing, there was a slight commotion in the originally quiet auditorium. At this time, a male voice sounded from the side of the stage. Two handsome young men dressed in very special national costumes walked out slowly, singing as they walked, and they came close to the two "young girls" and sang love songs to each other. The auditorium became commotion, and some audience members whispered to each other: This. Where is the song? Who is singing it?
——In this way, Zhao Yu and Mo Jiace of the Harlem Band first appeared in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall and took the lead. This program "Exploring Love Songs" cleverly combined the essence of Ping Guo's various singing songs, and added the humorous performance of young men and women on love songs, which was refreshing to the Sydney audience and became the biggest highlight of the night's performance
< p>In the following performance, the Harlequin Band took the lead on the stage. They sang 4 original songs of their own: "Moon", "Thrush in the Mountain", "Cousin", and "Missing Song". , integrating ancient singing music elements into modern pop music elements, and using fashionable musical expression methods to arrange it. After being published online at the China Original Music Base, the band has received a lot of praise for this performance in Sydney. Due to limited seats, the band The drummer and bassist were unable to make the trip, but it did not affect the live performance of the other members.In the audience was David, the cultural counselor of the Chinese Consulate in Sydney, Australia and an Australian member of Parliament. David Weiley and the President of the Sydney Chinese Chamber of Commerce and other distinguished guests. After the performance, David Wiley, accompanied by an interpreter, chatted cordially with the members of the Harlem band, "asked us about our costumes, what the songs were about, and thanked us for bringing us a wonderful show, saying that we The folk songs are very nice.”
Local media such as Australian Daily, Australian Times, and Australian Newspaper all reported on this TV show.
Watching Xu Wei and Wang Feng’s rehearsal was “very shocking”
On the morning of October 22, Nong Minjian, leader of the Pingguo Art Troupe and director of the Pingguo County People’s Congress, led a singing female duo, Together with Huang Chunyan, a singer from Zhuang in Black, he was invited to the local Australian Chinese Radio in Sydney to introduce Guangxi Zhuang folk songs. The live songs and folk songs of Zhuang in Black were spread to Australian audiences through the Chinese and Cantonese channels of Chinese Radio...< /p>
The three young men from the Harlem Band are still staying at the Sydney Opera House. While they are helping with some odd chores, they are watching the rehearsal of another Chinese original pop music show that will be performed on the evening of October 22. Zhao Yu knew a month ago that Xu Wei, Wang Feng, and Chen Chusheng were also going to Sydney to perform. Xu Wei and Wang Feng are both Zhao Yu's idols. When he was buying a piano at a piano store in Beijing, he once met Xu Wei by chance and was "very excited." Now that he saw his idols walking on the rehearsal stage at such a close distance, the excitement in his heart was even more uncontrollable.
What touched Zhao Yu the most was not the idol’s songs, but the meticulousness and seriousness with which they rehearsed. "They pay great attention to every detail and know the audio equipment well. I didn't feel the sound at the beginning of the sound test, but after listening to their voices after the adjustment, it was completely different and very comfortable. After Wang Feng finished the adjustment, Xu Wei went up and He took the microphone (microphone) tuned by Wang and started singing. After singing half a song, he suddenly stopped and said, "I'm sorry, this voice is Wang Feng's. I have to sing my own voice." Line to debug. 'Then he also did some complicated debugging.
After the adjustment, when he sang again, I only had two words: shocking! "Actually, when the Harlem Band participated in some large-scale concerts, they also saw some big-name domestic singers perform, but they all came and went in a hurry. They sang on stage as soon as they came and left after singing. They rarely participated in rehearsals. This time I saw Xu Wei and Wang Feng's rehearsal was "the first time we saw the artistic attitude of big-name national singers. In order to ensure the effect of the performance, we admire their rigor and professionalism, and it also taught us how to treat rehearsals." Zhao Yuwen. Wang Feng: "Why are your songs so well written? Wang Feng told him: "Just write more." "Zhao Yu regards these experiences as the biggest gain from his trip to Sydney.
Design his own performance costumes
During this trip to Sydney, Nong Minjian's luggage was filled with various items. In order to truly record the process of Guangxi's music going global, he worked tirelessly to take the role of accompanying photographer. When the reporter looked at the photos of the live performance, the performance costumes worn by the members of the Harvest Band were very special. Their outfits were not only unique. This was so refreshing to the Sydney audience that even reporters were wondering: Which ethnic group’s costumes are these? Zhao Yu explained: “The costumes of the three of us were designed by ourselves. ”
In September, Ma Guohua, the music director of Guangdong Radio, and senior executives of the Australian Passion Culture Communication Company went to Pingguo to collect music. They were conquered by the songs and unique expressiveness of the Harlem Band, and immediately consulted the Harlem Band. Are you willing to perform abroad? In October, Australia sent an invitation letter. The boys from the Harlem band were struggling with their costumes while applying for visas. Zhao Yu and the others couldn't find suitable costumes. Deciding to design it themselves! After referring to the local Zhuang clothing and looking at fashion magazines, the three young men took out their own design drawings and made unified changes in style. They bought local Zhuang handmade homespun cloth and hired a tailor. I made some modifications as I went, and finally put it on, and it turned out pretty good.
“This costume is the same as the song we created, a fusion of nationality and fashion, tradition and modernity. rigid. "Zhao Yu has always believed that innovation is the future of the band.
After returning from Sydney, the team members returned to work in Pingguo Aluminum. Life returned to its usual calm.
The dream about music continues...