[Reported by Wang Yangzichen, author of China News] Zhu Jiali, a member of the Democratic Revolutionary Party and a soprano, is a vocal teacher at the Minzu University of China, and is also the artist of the large-scale poetry, music and dance epic "Rhyme China" and the classic poetry and song concert "Eternal Poetry Rhythm" Director.
The two performances ingeniously integrated Chinese national culture with art forms such as bel canto, instrumental music, dance, recitation, calligraphy, painting, etc., so that the ancient poetry familiar to the Chinese people presented a fashionable and beautiful style of the times.
Since its premiere in 2015, it has performed dozens of performances at home and abroad and is well received by the audience.
Recently, Zhu Jiali accepted an exclusive interview with the "China News" newspaper, telling how she "song with poetry", inheriting the unique Chinese romantic feelings that have lasted for thousands of years, connecting the feelings of overseas Chinese and overseas Chinese, and as a college teacher, she also It is how to find and protect the beauty of original music in the splendid national culture.
Zhu Jiali (middle) performs in "The Rhythm of Eternal Poems".
(Photo courtesy of the respondent/Reported by China News)
Poetry and rhythm pass the world and sing the unique romance of the Chinese
"Guan Guanjujiu, in the River Island. A fair lady, a gentleman..." On a weekend night in November 2017, the large-scale poetry, music and dance epic "Rhyme China" was staged in the Silicon Valley of the San Francisco Bay Area. At that time, Nanwan Zhang Zhaofu, the mayor of Cupertino, Luo Linquan, the then Chinese consul general in San Francisco, and more than 2,000 spectators at the scene, through the performances of the artists, felt the romance of China in ancient poetry for thousands of years.
"Jianjia", "Guan Ju", "Journey into Wine", "Spring River and Moonlight Night" engraved in the memory of the Chinese people... When these poems were sung, they instantly resonated with the hearts of overseas Chinese. After the performance, The audience was reluctant to leave for a long time, and they stood there applauding all the time. I still remember some old overseas Chinese with tears in their eyes after the performance." After five years, Zhu Jiali, one of the leading actors of the night, still remembers it fresh.
"Rhyme China" is an original large-scale poetry, music and dance epic program that integrates recitation, chanting, vocal music, instrumental music, dance, calligraphy, painting and other artistic forms and multimedia technical means, presenting six original chapters that echo the beginning and end There are 23 original theme songs in total, and the history of Chinese poetry is sorted out in order from ancient times to the present.
"Eternal Poetry Rhythm" can be regarded as a "sound music pure enjoyment version" of "Poetry Rhythm China", with Zhu Jiali taking the lead and presenting it in the form of a solo concert.
Zhu Jiali is also the artistic director of "Rhyme China" and "Eternal Poetry Rhythm".
Since its premiere at the "First World Chinese Poetry Conference" in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu in November 2015, "Rhyme of China" has been performed more than 50 times.
When performing in different cities, Jiali Zhu and the team members will make small adjustments to the program according to the local historical and cultural background.
For example, in Inner Mongolia in 2018, the "Chile Song" was added to let the children recite "The sky is blue, the wild is vast, and the wind blows the grass to see cattle and sheep." The poem recitation of Crane Tower appeared on the stage... The rich and colorful regional culture gave the production team endless inspiration. The commonality of Chinese culture and the unique scenery of each place were so skillfully integrated into the performances. in the hearts of the audience.
Zhu Jiali told this reporter that this kind of performance form that integrates poetry into various types of art is not only innovative, but also brings more rich and multi-dimensional emotional exchanges than simple texts.
"In such an atmosphere, through music, we can invisibly improve overseas Chinese's sense of identity with their national culture and enhance their national cohesion." Zhu Jiali said, "For example, when performing in San Francisco, some of the audience came from Singapore and Malaysia. Although we live in different regions, we share the same roots and cannot give up Chinese culture."
Zhu Jiali (middle in the back row) and the performance team of "Eternal Poetry".
(Photo courtesy of the respondent/Reported by China News)
Sowing the seeds to make the "flowers" of ethnic minorities bloom
Zhu Jiali, whose main occupation is a vocal music teacher, knows the importance of sowing the seeds of culture and art for the younger generation.
When instructing students in school, she will teach students according to their aptitude and give pertinent advice to students on majors and employment.
"Different students have their own areas of expertise, and after graduation, there will also be suitable positions for them. Because art corresponds to a relatively wide range of industries, after graduation, they can be singers, actors, and teachers. Some students are good at interacting with people. When dealing with people, you can try art management, which is also a talent that is in short supply in China.”
Zhu Jiali bluntly said that learning vocal music is not to become a "big star". After all, in the era of developed social media, "it may be easier to sing the 'Divine Comedy' on a live broadcast".
Most of her students sing from elementary school, and if they can persist until the graduate level, they must be full of love, and she will especially protect the young seedlings of these arts.
"There is a child whose voice condition is not outstanding, but he is very persistent, he wants to sing, and finally he sings it. When I teach him, he sings and sings, and his voice comes out. If you listen carefully, you can sing well. It's quite tasty. This student is now a musical actor and performs all over the world." Zhu Jiali sighed that many people think that you must have talent to engage in art, but the talent may be revealed like this student, with acquired hard work and super willpower burst under the impetus.
The Minzu University where Zhu Jiali works has many students from ethnic minorities, some of whom come from remote areas. To get home from the school, they have to change planes, trains, cars, and finally take a carriage ride.
It is not easy for these children to study, and Zhu Jiali and other teachers will take more care of them in their studies and life.
Some ethnic minority students may not speak standard Mandarin at the beginning of their admission, but they are "extremely good" in music.
Zhu Jiali said: "The music of many ethnic minorities is original and has its own unique style. Those music are like flowers that grow locally. You can only appreciate the most beautiful appearance of this flower in that land." When the original ecological music is "transplanted" to Beijing, it is necessary to use the right teaching method when encountering the systematic training of the academic school, in order to "protect the original personality and allow him to grow".
"The charm of art has no identity." Years of art practice and teaching experience let Zhu Jiali know how important it is to protect the "individuality" in music for cultivating a student, helping him move towards a higher art palace and a wider world. .
Whether it is to inherit culture through "poetry and song", or to protect minority music in teaching, Zhu Jiali hopes that people can gain comfort and strength from poetry and music.
Biography:
Zhu Jiali, a member of the Democratic Revolutionary Party, currently teaches at the School of Music, Minzu University of China, and is a master tutor.
He has successively studied under the famous vocal music educators and singers Ding Yaxian, Jin Tielin and Liang Ning.
At the invitation of former US President George W. Bush, he held the "Sequoia Tree, China-US Friendship Covenant Solo Concert" at the Houston International Festival.
In recent years, he has held the "Eternal Poetry Rhythm - Chinese Classic Poetry Solo Concert" several times in China, and served as the artistic director and lead singer of the National Art Fund Project, a large-scale poetry, music and dance epic "Poetry Rhythm China".