Ma Di makes waves as US fans lap up his music

Folk singer-songwriter Ma Di is on his US tour. [Photo provided to China Daily]

The night before Ma Di performed at the Modern Sky Festival - an outdoor music event launched by Beijing-based indie label Modern Sky - on Sept 17 at Governors Island, New York, the Chinese folk singer-songwriter headed to Hotel Chelsea.

The 125-year-old hotel, a landmark of New York, is known for having hosted celebrated guests like Mark Twain, Bob Dylan and Andy Warhol.

But for Ma, this was a trip into his past.

Ma has a song called Is There A Room 8301 at Hotel Chelsea, which is in his debut album, The Lonely Island, which was released in 2014.

The song is full of melancholy and nostalgia and is about a girl and the passage of time.

Recounting his visit to the hotel, he says: "It was very dark and it (Hotel Chelsea) is closed for renovation." And, he does not know if the hotel had a room 8301.

But despite this "setback", Ma is gung ho as he continues to tour the United States until Sept 30. He expected to visit Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles, among other US cities.

"This is my first America tour. I am more excited than nervous," says Ma.

"Most of the audiences, I guess, will be Chinese or Chinese-American, who listen to my music on the internet. But I am also looking forward to feedback from those who have never heard my songs before."

The Beijing-born singer-songwriter who comes from the indie music scene in China is one of his generation's most popular stars.

Since founding the indie-folk label Sesame Leaves in 2011, Ma has gained millions of followers thanks to the internet.

His composition, Nan Shan Nan (South of the South Mountain) won rave reviews.