We've Been Pleasantly Surprised

Guangzhou isn't exactly known for it's music scene, but we've been pleasantly surprised by some good shows while we've been here. Last weekend we ventured out into University Town (a huge campus on the edge of the city, impossible to navigate) in the hopes of seeing the Eric Truffaz quartet (from France). After walking on deserted streets for quite some time (note - Guangzhou doesn't really have deserted streets, there are always people around so this was a bizarre experience. We could even hear insects and frogs croaking) we finally heard some jazz floating through the misty air and followed our ears the venue. Special thanks to John and Mya whom we have no pictures of (sorry) for helping with the navigation process and being such good company for the night. It was a great show.

By the time we found the place there was only standing room left. Spot any familiar faces?

Special mention goes to percussionist Marc Erbetta who was pretty amazing to watch.


Other musical highlights for the year were performances by the Guangzhou symphony,

and Notch (the Nordic Chinese Music Festival) which brings all sorts of nordic musicians on tour of China once a year.

One of the best things about seeing music here, is the appreciative audience. There is a real untapped market for live music performances.

Though on that note, the authorities may still be a little uneasy about such things. At this show, the performers encouraged people to get out of their seats, and when they finally did, security guards came swarming out of nowhere to get things back into control. As you can see, it was a pretty wild crowd what with all that standing, clapping, and picture snapping. hm.

If you've ever seen Susanna and the Magical Orchestra perform, you'll know they are just that. Magical.