China: All That and Dim Sum

Ni hau! After all, the 2008 Olympics will be in Beijing this year and it would be nice to know what those “cool & hip” athletes being interviewed are saying upon stepping to the microphone… Hello! And “Ni hau ma” (how are you?). I hope well. Its been a minute since I last dropped a few lines, but we’re still on the grind. I just finished dinner with the band here in Hangzhou after a 2 hour flight from Kunming, which seemed like an eternity since our collective day started at 10-am…

That being said, here’s a note for my music students:
Always be ready to “Hurry up and wait” because YOU MUST BE ON TIME and READY TO LUG ALL YOUR GEAR when there’s no one else to do it after you’ve played for 2 hours. That also means you need to maintain good physical health. This is all part of being a professional musician. To minimize stress and use of energy, you must plan ahead, constantly be aware of changes and be flexible so you can adapt easily to those changes.

To my fellow musicians I’m not telling nothing new. But to those of you who feel ready or aspire to be a professional touring musician, there is not enough I can say about the necessary preparedness, patience, promptness, concern for your health, and that of your temporary ‘road’ family, yet allowing them to be alone regardless of how you think your kind words will make them feel better… then remembering what it is you’re there or here to do… play music, share knowledge, learn from others, and find a way to have a good time doing it. Please keep these things in mind and make it a point to ask other professional musicians about life on the road. When I get back, I’ll talk more about this and what it means to use your talent as a diplomat of good will.

Here we are in Hangzhou, at Shangri-La Hotel just back from a performance over 24 hours since I wrote that last paragraph and our shortest stay, with the largest audience -over one thousand in the 1, 200 seat theater at Zhejiang University College of Arts and screaming in joy at Maya’s stroll from the stage to connect with many of them for a hug, hand shake and serenade. It was another good show, with everyone in the house doing call and response with Maya. You can imagine how that sounded, right…? Just finished packing my bags for our trek to the Philippines tomorrow morning. This was our last date in China (for the time being anyway) and I didn’t get to visit the REAL Shaolin… yet, I’m closer than I would be back home.

I know, it never was on the schedule. But I never stop dreaming… especially when I have one of those RZA tracks in my headphones. Yeah right, like WuTang Clan really makes me think of modern day China… they’re name is more a reference to and inspiration from the 1970’s martial arts films that so often depicted 19th or early 20th century China on the country side.

There is a lot going on in China now that put those images far in the past. From demolition to excavation to construction everywhere you turn, China is on the move! Here you’ll find construction workers engaged throughout the night in building, soldering, lifting, sanding and what not… Structures come up fast in China! This country is obviously building for more than the 2008 Olympics… The whole world knows that. I’m thrilled to be able to see it first hand because the people are also as diverse as the land.

But what is not known, is what’s happening creatively in China. There are many traditional music and performing arts schools in China, such as Beijing Contemporary Music Academy, Shenyang Conservatory of Music, Yunan Cultural Center, Yunan Arts University,(both in Kunming)- all of which we played and/or held workshops. Along with various High Schools they are making efforts to expose their students to music of other cultures as well as western music particularly that of the Americas. There are also hip-hop communities developing music with a fresh take on lyrics. Take for instance the various dialects and ethnicities in China… This is something the new “global china” is having to deal with in order to economically unify the country and its economy. There are young lyricists who are finding rhyme schemes to communicate within these dialects while utilizing hip-hop to show their acknowledgment of popular American culture! And many are young women!

(BTW, women in China seem to have more of a roll in society. We’ve noticed they are hired more across the board in fields often reserved for men such as construction, truck drivers, bus drivers, and institutional directors. Although, I have yet to visit any government offices… The women, young and old also seemed very impressed with the fact that a woman as Maya who’s feminine character stands out has such command and power. This is my real reason for suggesting “Maya Mania” is set for a jump off in China!)

We’ve also had request from kids to “teach” them how to dance! Many young people also want to express themselves within the Rhythm & Blues aka R&B style of singing. That in itself is special because although they do not have the same hole in the sole of shoes African-Americans have walked in or bare the burden of our “Blues” … Young artists in China, have ground to stomp and MEGA HISTORY to reflect on because their people have suffered greatly for a long time also. So there is a “Blues” waiting to be sung by them. Soul is not something one can teach, it has to be identified in oneself. Like Bobby Byrd said “I know you got soul, if you didn’t you wouldn’t be in here”. One can only hope the young recognize this, combine it with some rhythm and incorporate it into whatever they learn from the Maya Azucena Band or anyone else willing to give up the funk.

See, in a bar of music, we may drop a soulful cadence on the 2 & 4, but those beats will only stand out in the confidence of one’s own rhythm. I feel we’ve been instrumental in empowering the young artist we’ve met to find that confidence. One of the most beautiful things I’ve seen and heard are the faces and voices that come up to the stage, create and sing with us during workshops. They want to be a part of it, know how it is played, the different styles and how they can play it while maintaining their own traditions. But here also lies the disconnection. The idea that traditions cannot be part of something new. Fear of a calculated evolution. A determined future felt needed for the survival of a nation at the forefront of the new global community. The “if I do this, I might lose something” syndrome. Back in the day, George Clinton coined that syndrome as “Sir Nose Devoid of Funk”. Don’t be “devoid of funk”. Embrace it! I say bring the instruments of your grandparents and emphasize their melodies within YOUR groove. Then come up with something new on that old instrument. New music must be written on old instruments to keep those instruments relevant.

Hopefully these points came across earlier, at Hangzhou Library and Museum, where we held a workshop that more than 300 people attended while learning about some of their own history! An amazing display of sculpture, drawings, audiophile and miniature landscapes describing the history and culture of the Grand Canal was on display. A very timely dichotomy… I Just think the positive side of the people need to be known… Say hello to the people!

But you just want to know what I did on my down time… well, what little down time we had was truly quality.
While in Beijing aka Peking, we visited Tiananmen Square, The Forbidden City and Imperial Palace, and The Great Wall. They were all that you’ve ever heard and a must see if you have not done so. Beijing is a very large city and you probably know more about it than I need to explain here. But if you would like to share your experience… please do.

I missed a chance to have “Peking Duck”! But did have very good duck in other places.

I found Shenyang to be a very industrious and bustling inner city. Every bit of land seemed excavated when I looked out my hotel window! This will be a totally different place in a year! Here, we learned a bit about the culture of eating at the round table, as we did along with other guests of one enthusiastic local business man and friend of the U.S. Public Affairs office, who made quite a few toasts with glasses of an aromatic corn liquor known as BI-ZHOU (that’s my phonetic spelling - I don’t usually ask someone how to spell when their drinking…).

He and his friends were very happy about our show earlier that evening, which entertained delegates from North Korea, Japan, Philippines, the U.S. and others.
I took precaution with a few extra glasses of water and extra pieces of roasted duck… But really, no excuses for “extra pieces” of anything are needed when invited to a FEAST! And who am I to offend anyone? Hey, turn that lazy susan so I can scoop up some of those tasty sautéed mushroom sprouts and some of those shrimp!

For Guangzhou, I had big plans to have bargains played and suits made. I even had the blessing of drummer Alvin Atkinson who provided me with the contact of a marketing manager located in the city who imports and exports goods (mostly art from Africa) But. due to the start of the Canton Trade Fair (which my contact was also registering for) our trip was cut short . Although, I did get to spend an hour with Mr. Ato to see how bargaining is done in one of the city’s key wholesale centers and ended up picking a few suits for Alvin who made arrangements for some suits prior to my arrival…. I’m holding your suits hostage, Alvin… holla’ at me, yo.

Guangzhou has been a trading center since 1,200 BC and became a major trading center under the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). Many Africans, Russians, and Middle Easterners live and have businesses ther. If you wanted to live in China and feel like you’re in New York or D.C., this would be the place to come.

An old man speaking broken english who I met in Green Lake Park my first day in Kunming, told me I was “the first black man in Kunming”. I didn’t know whether to believe him or not since the U.S. Navy was posted on the shores of Kunming during WWII, as a strategic point of defense. But the armed forces (particularly the NAVY) were segregated at that time… which lends support to his comment. And I did get looks… either way, he was as friendly and curious as those looks in Kunming. The weather was about 75% and it stayed that way even through the night. We heard its’ like this all year ‘round except for a minor drop in February to about 65%. It is known as “the city of spring” - one of the only places in the world with “spring” as the only season!

Green Lake is a lake full of history as you will see multiple groups of people gathered to sing and dance to old Chinese folk songs played on traditional instruments by mostly older musicians. You’ll find young and old and some more formal than others. But sound is throughout the park with little old ladies dancing!

Kunming is in a mountainous region and vegetation is rich. The variation in green plant life is daunting and used to design the city, including the shopping areas. This is also an important location for tea, mushroom, and tobacco trade but mostly tea. To sit in a tea shop is an event that can last for a couple of hours because the merchant will request that you to sit, drink, and taste teas while he or she explains the use of the tea, all along sipping with you. The main reason for the sit is that the tea becomes stronger while it sits in the water and the purpose is for you to get all it has to offer.
You are then expected to buy some tea. Folks in China are becoming as snooty about their tea as folk are about their coffee in the U.S.

The most interesting dish of food so far has been “Ground Lotus Root with Chopped Tofu and Scallions”. The mushrooms here are the tastiest I’ve had anywhere I have ever gone and the Chinese chefs are highly skilled at preparing just the right sauce flavor for any sauteed dish. Nothing seems to overwhelm anything else. Except for one pepper that numbs your tongue and lip… but after about a dozen big shrimp and some vegetables you will need nothing more anyway!

So listen, I gotta’ go stretch and break this fast. I ‘ll get back to you once I’ve settled in the Philippines. Much love and all the best.

-B. Mack