The time-honored Chinese ancient music and excellent songs of Cantonese music, as well as the popular pop music and local songs from the contemporary era, accompanied by plucked and percussion music with strong national colors...the Chinese folk musicians and singers have showcased the charm of such music for the people of South Africa, French Reunion and Mauritius - on the occasion of the successful holding of Beijing-China Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, September 4th to 17th, China Federation of Literary and Art Circles has dispatched the troupe of Chinese Musicians Association "Flower Whisper along the Silk Road" to visit Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban of South Africa French Reunion and Mauritius to hold "2018 Guangzhou Culture Week• Guangdong Music Overseas Exchange Tour". The performance team is mainly composed by the Guangdong Musical & Folk Art Troupe founded in the 1950s, and specially invited the young soprano GONG Junli of the Central National Traditional Orchestra to join the troupe.
The tour was jointly organized by the Chinese Consulate General in Saint-Denis, the Chinese Cultural Center in Mauritius, CFLAC, the Chinese Musicians Association, the Publicity Department of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee, and the Guangzhou Culture, Radio, Film and Television Press and Publication Bureau and undertaken by the Confucius Institute at Durban University of Technology and the Durban-Guangzhou Friendship City Association, South Africa's Kwazulu-Natal Provincial Chinese Education Foundation, the Confucius Institute at the University of Cape Town, and the Cape Town China Peaceful Reunification Promotion Association. The event has also received much support from Chinese Embassy in South Africa, Consulate General in Durban, Saint-Denis City Government, Reunion Overseas Chinese Association and China Literature and Art Foundation.
From September 5th to 6th, the "Flower Whisper along the Silk Road" Art Troupe has attended the opening ceremony of the MOSHITO Music Conference in Johannesburg of South Africa, and held a special performance at the market theatre. The delegation has also rehearsed, recorded and performed with the famous South African percussion musician Azah with notes as medium, and played the song of friendship with artistic means to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relationship between China and South Africa. The wonderful performances by musicians of both countries have brought a refreshing audio-visual experience to audiences from all walks of life in South Africa and musicians from all over the world as the site was filled by applause and cheers along the event. One of the audience said, "I have never heard Chinese folk music with such a different style. I am very excited about the wonderful presentation of Chinese music." Bahura, a musician from Johannesburg, South Africa, said that Chinese music was very exciting and hoped to have the opportunity to play percussion with Chinese artists.
When the art group arrived in Cape Town, they rushed to the University of Cape Town without any rest and held a Chinese folk music workshop at the SMUTS HALL Theatre. At the University of Cape Town, traditional and contemporary music, such as Pinghu Qiuyue, Ambush from All-sides, Drinks at Hundred-flower Pavilion, Folk Songs, and other famous songs were performed. Young musicians from the Guangdong Musical & Folk Art Troupe have displayed the traditional Chinese folk instruments, including Coconut Hu, Gao Hu, Dulcimer, Pipa, Liuqin, Ruan and Bamboo Flute etc., which have aroused strong interest and sincere passion from the teachers and students of the university. When the activity came to an end, it was learned that GONG Junli was a famous young soprano of the Central National Traditional Orchestra. The opera-major students of the University of Cape Town proposed to sing the song I Love You, China with her, which they learned in Confucius Institute. Many Chinese people on the scene have join the singing, expressing the overseas Chinese people's deep love for the motherland, pushing the exchange activities to another climax. After the singing, the two singers hugged each other and became another wonderful witness of the cultural exchanges between two countries.
In Cape Town, the troupe also visited the South African Children's House, bringing warm music and heartfelt love to South Africa's first child welfare agency with more than 200 years of history. Young performers from Guangdong have performed Jasmine, Birds of the Forest, Zizhu Tune, Moonlight, Suzanne, Napoli and other light and affectionate Chinese and foreign masterpieces for the 44 orphans and children from Problem-concerned Families, making them much enjoy themselves with great smile on face. The art group has also brought toys and school supplies to the children, receiving much welcome. XUE Ling, deputy-director of the International Department of CFLAC said: "Children and young people are the future of the country. We join hands with the Cape Town China Peaceful Reunification Promotion Association to enter the Children's Institute in South Africa, to show love to the poor children and orphans living here, and play Chinese music. I hope that children will have more exposure to the Chinese culture through music so as to understand China better."
On the evening of September 10th, "2018 Flower Whisper along the Silk Road • Mid-Autumn Festival Concert" was held at the Durban Sibaya Theatre. The performance was kicked off in three tracks, including "Root of our culture" by the jazz band of the Durban Music School, which used to perform in Guangzhou. It was warmly welcomed by the audiences. The troupe of Chinese Musicians Association has presented Guangdong drum music Lion lions and dragon boats , national orchestral music Water Lotus, plucked music Ambush from All-side, Beautiful Africa, Folk Songs, percussion ensemble Molar Tiger, Guangdong music Rain Beating Banana-trees, and Cantonese song Colorful Wind Chasing the Moon and other classic Cantonese music repertoires, and the song Glorious Years specially created for the praise of Mandela. The performance has brought a wonderful musical enjoyment to the audiences. During the two-hour performance, the audiences applauded warmly from time to time. The concert ended in the singing of My Motherland and I.
On September 12th, the old town hall of Saint-Denis in Reunion was brightly lit up, with a festive atmosphere, representative of the chief executive of the region, the deputy mayor of SaintDenis, the gendarmerie commander, the president of the economic and social council, and the first president of court of appealing, and overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese students' representatives and others, nearly 300 guests in total have come to attend the "2018 Flower Whisper along the Silk Road • Mid-Autumn Festival Concert", which was co-sponsored by the Chinese Consulate General in St. Denis, CFLAC, the Chinese Musicians Association, the Publicity Department of the Guangzhou Municipal Committee and the Guangzhou Culture, Radio, Film and Television Press and Publication Bureau. The art group has performed the well-known folk music classics, such as "Colorful Wind Chasing the Moon" and "Rain Beating Banana-trees", and also brought a unique work as "Molar Tiger", especially the local songs led by GONG Junli have made the atmosphere reach the climax.
On the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Mauritius Chinese Cultural Center on September 15th, the Mauritius Chinese Cultural Center, CFLAC, the Chinese Musicians Association, Publicity Department of Guangzhou Municipal Committee, the Guangzhou Culture, Radio, Film and Television Press and Publication Bureau have joined hands with the Theatre of the Mauritius Gandhi College to hold a Mid-Autumn Festival concert entitled "Enjoy the Same Happiness - Flower Whisper along the Silk Road". The dance drama "Mid-Autumn Dream-pursuing" directed by the teachers and students of Gandhi College has kicked off the performance of "Enjoy the Same Happiness". The 6 students of the College's Performance Department have painted a vivid celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival reunion with cheerful Indian dance together with Chinese and Indian music melodies. The opening song Salty Water Song and Hakka folk songs have inspired the enthusiasm of the local Chinese. The powerful singing voice of the female solo My Motherland and I won lasting applause. The Cantonese song Colorful Wind Chasing the Moon, Eternal Love, Acacia by Moon and Glorious Years have completely infected the overseas Chinese attending the gala. With a classic melody one after another, they also sang together while passing good wishes to all. The Cantonese instrumental artists used the Erhu, Pipa, Liuqin and Zhong Ruan to perform the classics, such as the Hakka zither song Water Lotus, the five-instrument combination Rain Beating Banana-trees , the hard-instrument combination Drinks at Hundred-flower Pavilion, and the artists' exquisite skill have aroused the resonance of the audience, winning a round of applause.
On September 14th, the art troupe has also held a charity performance for China-funded enterprises at the Jin Fei Theater, offering a musical feast for employees of the two nations. The visit marks the first time that the CFLAC was positioned to introduce Cantonese music that was listed in China's first batch of national intangible cultural heritage since 2006 to foreign countries. As a traditional Chinese silk and bamboo music developed from the Guangfu dialect area, the Guangdong Music has won great popularity through its light, soft, sleek, fine and solid style, and fresh, smooth and beautiful Lingnan characteristics, which is the outstanding local traditional art treasure. During the performances in Africa, many local people believed that even if they were separated from Guangzhou by thousands of miles, they could feel its rich traditional culture. The artists have shown the unique artistic charm cradled by Lingnan culture and completed a passionate collision between Chinese excellent traditional culture and African local civilization.