Dawanggang is the Chinese folk fusion band, self-positioned as "Image and Sound Theatrical Troupe". Since 2009, Dawanggang is the band name of solo artist Song Yuzhe, who has been an important member of the independent Chinese music scene for the last ten years. Song Yuzhe was the founder of the band Wood Pushing Melon in 1998. In 2002, Song Yuzhe left the band and began traveling extensively in Western China, turning his attention to folk music. In Dawanggang he is on vocals, eight string banjo, and citten. Other members are Xiao He (on the horse-head fiddle from Inner-Mongolia), Adil (on the ghijak, a vertical violin from Xinjiang and the Uighur people), Yang Ji (on dance, vocals and different sounds and percussions from Tibet), Tato (on the tabla), Zhang Jian (on electronic organ and half zither). Wang Fang accompanies them with sound effects.
Within the band, all the musicians come from very different backgrounds. Dawanggang aims at crossing borders, creating a new musical identity where everyone's difference becomes a richness.
Music Albums:
• Da Wang Gang: series of music albums (under production)
• Huang Qiang Zou Ban: series of music and sound albums (under production)
These albums will include two types of music: a) songs based on original folk music recordings and fieldwork which are edited/re-mixed b) сompositions by the musician, often adopted from folk music.
There are 3 albums planned in 2009:
• Three Dakini are discussing
• Ashik Castle
• Mandala's Mandolin
A series of "Coming with Image, Going with Sound" concerts:
"Coming with Image, Going with Sound — Dawanggang Image and Sound Theatrical Troupe" is a project led by Dawanggang (a band with flexible membership): live music is played in reflection of videos featuring landscapes and folk musician shot by Song Yuzhe in Tibet and Xinjiang over many years.
Each show includes two parts, "We Go" and "They Come". "We Go" leads us on a journey into nature from a traveler’s perspective, while "They Come" brings images of folk musicians into the live performance with the band. Each show lasts about 90 minutes, including a 15 minute intermission and 20 minute discussion opportunity.
"Coming with Image, Going with Sound" aims to realize trans-boundary collaborations between different ethnicities and cultures, different music types and musicians with different backgrounds. It combines image and sound to adjust the relations between them/us, host/guest, majority/minority, tradition/modern, power/freedom and rebuilds vivid and free communication among people.
First four shows:
• "Deities Over Boundaries" — the Himalayas theme
• "Manas’ Axe Mark" — Xinjiang Tianshan Mountains Kirgiz theme
• "You Dance in Western Regions, I Dance on Eastern Lands" — Xinjiang Uighur Dolan Mukam theme
• "The Mandolin on Datura" — Tibetan Amdo theme
Within the band, all the musicians come from very different backgrounds. Dawanggang aims at crossing borders, creating a new musical identity where everyone's difference becomes a richness.
Music Albums:
• Da Wang Gang: series of music albums (under production)
• Huang Qiang Zou Ban: series of music and sound albums (under production)
These albums will include two types of music: a) songs based on original folk music recordings and fieldwork which are edited/re-mixed b) сompositions by the musician, often adopted from folk music.
There are 3 albums planned in 2009:
• Three Dakini are discussing
• Ashik Castle
• Mandala's Mandolin
A series of "Coming with Image, Going with Sound" concerts:
"Coming with Image, Going with Sound — Dawanggang Image and Sound Theatrical Troupe" is a project led by Dawanggang (a band with flexible membership): live music is played in reflection of videos featuring landscapes and folk musician shot by Song Yuzhe in Tibet and Xinjiang over many years.
Each show includes two parts, "We Go" and "They Come". "We Go" leads us on a journey into nature from a traveler’s perspective, while "They Come" brings images of folk musicians into the live performance with the band. Each show lasts about 90 minutes, including a 15 minute intermission and 20 minute discussion opportunity.
"Coming with Image, Going with Sound" aims to realize trans-boundary collaborations between different ethnicities and cultures, different music types and musicians with different backgrounds. It combines image and sound to adjust the relations between them/us, host/guest, majority/minority, tradition/modern, power/freedom and rebuilds vivid and free communication among people.
First four shows:
• "Deities Over Boundaries" — the Himalayas theme
• "Manas’ Axe Mark" — Xinjiang Tianshan Mountains Kirgiz theme
• "You Dance in Western Regions, I Dance on Eastern Lands" — Xinjiang Uighur Dolan Mukam theme
• "The Mandolin on Datura" — Tibetan Amdo theme