The world in a song
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The Whirling Dervishes of Damascus will perform in Shanghai for the first time. |
Mystical dancers
Lin told the Global Times that this year's event will feature a "pure" traditional, folk program. "The Whirling Dervishes of Damascus from Syria will be brought to Shanghai for the first time. This spellbinding mystical dance dates back to the 13th century, I believe that it will really impress our urban audience a lot," he said.
Khoomei, a traditional singing style from Mongolia, will also be showcased courtesy of four Khoomei groups from Mongolia, Beijing, the Republic of Tuvan (Russia) and Switzerland. Meanwhile of the Chinese performing artists, Wu Man will play the ancient Chinese instrument, the pipa, while Wang Li will perform on the kouxian, regarded as the oldest instrument in the world.
The term "world music" was first coined in the 1960s, with the purpose of distinguishing little-known, ethnic styles of music, from popular Western music. Lin told the Global Times that the term was first used in China in the 1980s, but that it is still a fairly unknown concept here, and has yet to make a big impact. "Even now, there are still only two influential world music festivals in Asia: one is Singapore, and the other in Taiwan," Lin added.
Four years ago, when Lin and his team were planning to prepare a music festival in Shanghai, they realized that among the plethora of rock, folk and jazz festivals in China, there wasn't a single world music festival. "So that is what we decided to do," he said.
"Some people may deride the term 'world music,' as western-centric, or as a commercial ruse to create a new music market. All I want to do is put on something new and unfamiliar for Chinese audiences, and of course, to earn some money at the same time. I am, after all, a businessman."
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