|
Music from China One dozen beautiful young women, all in their twenties, take the stage and stand before a variety of ancient musical instruments. The moment they start to play, it is clear the members of Twelve Girls Band are among the most gifted musicians in the world. Coming from China, Twelve Girls Band is already one of that country’s most popular groups. As they build a musical bridge between east and west, Twelve Girls Band charms the people of many nations around the world. A best-selling act all over Asia, Twelve Girls Band fills concert halls and arenas there, and has now been discovered by America. In 2004 the group arrived on the US music scene at NO. 62 of the billboard 200 album chart. It was the highest entry by an Asian group. In Japan, Twelve Girls Band is already a supergroup. It has sold more than two million records, and has even appeared in TV ads for chocolate and cellphones, among other products. A Japanese DVD of Twelve Girls Band live in concert sold over 200,000 copies, and their live performances have been seen on television around the world. In 2004 they were named International Artist of the Year at the Japan Golden Disc Award ceremonies. Drawing upon more than 1,500 years of Chinese music, Twelve Girls Band mixes this rich tradition with classical, folk and contemporary sounds. The group signifies the symbolic choice of a dozen members found in various aspects of Chinese numerology with 12 months in a year, and in ancient mythology, 12 jinchai (golden hairpins, which represent womanhood). Inspiration also comes from yuefang, the female chamber orchestras that palyed in the royal courts of the Tang Dynasty. Each member of Twelve Girls Band has classical training, with backgrounds that include the China Academy of Music, the Chinese National Orchestra, and the Central Conservatory of Music. Skilled multi-instrumentalists, they perform on traditional Chinese instruments that include the guzheng, the yangqin, the erhu, the pipa and the dizi and xiao. The group’s appeal is equally as broad, with children, teens, adults and grandparents filling arenas to see it perform. American critics noticed the mixture of pieces by Mozart and Beethoven, with jazz standards like Dave Burbeck’s Take Five, or a version of a mush-loved classic such as Simon and Garfunkel’s El Condor Pasa. The group honours its musical heritage and shows a genuine love for all style of music – from complex classical works to long-lasting pop tunes. 来自中国的音乐 十二位20多岁的美丽的年轻女子登上舞台站立在各种各样的古典乐器前。她们一开始演奏就立刻证明了“女子十二乐坊的成员都是世界上最具有天赋的音乐家。来自中国的“女子十二乐坊已经成为最受本国欢迎的乐队之一。 “女子十二乐坊在东西方之间架起了音乐的桥梁,她们吸引了世界各地许多国家的人们。成为亚洲最畅销的专辑,“女子十二乐坊让音乐大厅和音乐场爆满,现在她们已被美国乐坛发现。2004年这个乐队名列美国现场音乐表演的Billboard200排行榜的第62位。这是亚洲乐队中最高的排名。在日本,“女子十二乐坊已经是超级乐队。其专辑销量已经超过200万张,她们甚至还出现在众多商品中的巧克力和手机的电视广告上。一场“女子十二乐坊现场演奏会的日本DVD销售超过20万张,她们的现场表演已在全世界的电视上播出。2004年她们在日本的“金碟奖颁奖典礼上被授予年度最佳海外艺人大奖。吸取中国1500多年的音乐文化,“女子十二乐坊将这浓厚的传统与古典、民族与现代声音巧妙融合。这个乐队十二名成员的选取,代表了中国八卦中的一年十二个月的各种不同的方面,并且象征了古老的神话中代表女性的“十二金钗。灵感还来源于“乐坊———在唐朝皇宫演奏的女子管弦乐队。 “女子十二乐坊的每位成员都接受过一流的正规教育,分别有着中国音乐学院、中央民族学院、中央音乐学院等教育背景。她们是精通多种乐器的演奏家,表演所使用的乐器有:古筝,扬琴,二胡,琵琶,笛子和箫等中国传统乐器。 这支乐队的吸引力相当广泛,许多小孩子、十几岁的青少年、成年人和祖父母辈的观众挤满了演奏现场观看演出。 美国的评论家们发现其作品中有莫扎特与贝多芬音乐的融合,有爵士乐标准诸如戴夫o布鲁贝克的“五拍或是改编自深受人们喜爱的经典作品如西蒙和加芬克尔的“山鹰。这支乐队尊崇自己的民族音乐遗产并且展现出对各种音乐风格的真实的热爱———从复杂的古典作品到经久不衰的流行乐曲。 |
