New album unleashes vitality

Daiqingtana sees the song as an exploration of the need for true intimacy and connection — touching not just physically, but spiritually and emotionally.

"The act of touching, of truly seeing someone for who they are, is love in its purest form. That's the power of touch — the recognition of one another's soul," she adds.

Her husband, Quan Sheng, who plays the morin khuur or horsehead fiddle, a traditional Mongolian ethnic musical instrument, adds that "touching" in the song also refers to the connection with nature. When they performed outdoors on the grassland of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, where the band came from, their faces were touched by the wind and the sun.

Waiting, another new song, was born during their rehearsal sessions and brings a fresh sound to their evolving music style.This song, sung in Mongolian, departs from their usual musical direction, leaning more toward a pop vibe, yet still carries the emotional depth and soul of their traditional roots.

"Waiting is a tribute to the ethnic Mongolian music of our childhood — specifically the songs they grew up listening to," says Mural Bimurat, who, born in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, plays dombra in the band. Though it incorporates elements of their familiar folk sounds, the song introduces a more contemporary feel, blending post-rock influences with a fresh, emotional tone.The song takes on a new life when performed live, where its full emotional impact is felt by the audience.

"When people listen to music, they either feel something deeply or don't connect with it at all. It all depends on their own understanding of life," Quan Sheng adds. "For us, the goal is always to create music that feels right — something that resonates personally. The melody, the lyrics, and the vocals are all equally important. And when the guitar and morin khuur come together in the solo part of the song, it's like the soul of the music comes alive."

In Mongolian language, haya means "the edge". It is a metaphor for the nomadic lifestyle that has become so edgy today.Founded in 2006, the band has been devoted to making world music based on Mongolian traditions. The current members of the band also include guitarist Xibo, bassist Liu Tianlei and percussionist Zhang Chao.

Quan Sheng grew up with his grandparents on the grassland and moved to Hohhot, the capital of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, with his parents at age 8, when he started to learn the violin and morin khuur. The versatile singer-songwriter graduated from the music department of Minzu University of China in Beijing in 1991, where he met his wife.

Quan Sheng has long been a trailblazer in blending traditional Chinese and ethnic Mongolian music with modern influences.In the 1980s, he cofounded one of the first pop-rock bands in Inner Mongolia. His groundbreaking work combined the unique sound of the morin khuur with the energy of modern rock music, forging a new path in the world of ethnic and popular music.

As a professor and researcher of ethnic musical instruments at the Minzu University of China, Quan Sheng has continually pondered the future of Chinese traditional music. His experiences collaborating with world music ensembles featuring musicians from Europe, Germany, India and the Netherlands deeply inspired him. These collaborations reinforced his belief that Chinese traditional music should transcend regional and ethnic boundaries. He envisions a world where diverse musical traditions can maintain their unique identities while uniting to reveal the universal qualities of human music.

The band has released award-winning albums, including their first album, Wolf Totem, in 2007, and Silent Sky in 2010. In 2020, it appeared at the popular Chinese reality show, The Big Band, allowing their music to be enjoyed by a wider audience.

"With Haya, we always envision the fusion of global influences with China's rich cultural heritage, aiming to create music that celebrates both individuality and the commonality of human experience," he says. "Over the years, we toured worldwide, and no matter where we go, we always go back to our roots."