Pop star returns to her ethnic Miao roots

Living in villages allowed her to embrace a simpler lifestyle and brought back vivid memories. A Duo was raised by her grandmother, and the wooden door of her grandmother's house always creaked. A creak meant someone was leaving, and another creak meant that breakfast was ready. The door was like a clock, and the creak was like its chime. She wanted to preserve these emotionally charged sounds in the production, alongside things like picking cotton, sifting rice, spinning machines, and grinding stones.

"I'm a translator, interpreting what the previous generation of masters has passed down and making it resonate with today's young people," A Duo says.

Reborn Beats brings together five inheritors of Miao ethnic folk arts, including singer Long Xian'e and lusheng player Yang Shengwen. They share A Duo's vision of music that revives a cultural legacy they believe has the power to inspire future generations.

"As an inheritor of lusheng, I always want to present the instrument to a wider audience, and with Reborn Beats, we have made this possible," says Yang, who performs with the China Ethnic Song and Dance Ensemble, and has been playing the instrument for decades.

"The lusheng is not just treated as an embellishment but prominently featured in the production, especially when it's integrated into contemporary music elements. It allows the audience to see and feel the essence of the instrument, and experience its sound in a fresh and engaging way," Yang notes.

Contact the writer at chennan@chinadaily.com.cn