The year is 1983 when Zhou Peng was born into the family of a Mongolian mother and a Chinese father. Now, 35 years later, you can find her under her artistic name - Sa DingDing (薩頂頂) along with her 6 published albums. Don't we always read how talented from a young age was a certain artist? She doesn't show talent but great interest, skills, and dedication to singing, playing instruments and learning many languages. As a result, she now uses effortlessly Tibetian, Sanskrit, Mandarin and Lagu. Along with these languages, she uses in her songs a language of her own (similar to gloсsolalia). That way she hopes to touch the heart of her listener without relying on actual words or story. To the list of her neverending skills, we can add also the traditional instruments guzheng and morin khuur. |
All these facts and biography lessons, all though interesting and needed, I've always found to be rather cold. Who is Sa DingDing? During the interview for The Independent, she reveals that there is not one specific moment that changes her path but she forged it over time with every single one of her decisions. Music has always been her freedom and allows her to express emotion, to even build the world around her. Reading even a small fraction of her speech and thoughts, I can't help but admire her and her way of making art with attention and soul. The genres that can be loosely attached to her songs are world, electronic, ethnic, even folkloric, at the same time even pop. For the fans of such amalgama of sounds, she can be put next to huge names like Dead Can Dance, Azam Ali, and Niyaz. She even reminds me of a similar Bulgarian band - Irfan.
Sa DingDing reached the European media and public in 2008 by winning the BBC Radio 3 World Music Award. I was surprised to find that after the win and initial media coverage - she was still famous mainly in China and East Asia, not so much in Europe or the Americas.
Somewhere far in the distance, a faint sound can be heard. Is it Chinese? Is the melody Indian or Mongolian? Or even from the mystical Tibet? We settle, close our eyes and fall into the heavenly symphony of various cultures combined in a masterpiece. There is a soft female voice now but the language is unknown and unclear to me. Somehow tho, I understand it and follow the emotion it brings. Can you hear it?
The official Facebook page of Sa DingDing
The official blog of Sa DingDing in Chinese
Статията на български може да намерите тук.
Somewhere far in the distance, a faint sound can be heard. Is it Chinese? Is the melody Indian or Mongolian? Or even from the mystical Tibet? We settle, close our eyes and fall into the heavenly symphony of various cultures combined in a masterpiece. There is a soft female voice now but the language is unknown and unclear to me. Somehow tho, I understand it and follow the emotion it brings. Can you hear it?
The official Facebook page of Sa DingDing
The official blog of Sa DingDing in Chinese
Статията на български може да намерите тук.
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Author: Lilia Bozhinova