Enjoying good music in Shanghai and benefiting a good cause
- Source: Global Times
- [13:37 March 08 2010]
- Comments
By Hu Bei
The voluteers are singing "We are the world". Photo: courtesy of Jiro yuan
On the night of March 5 in Shanghai, rock, jazz, reggae, electronic, and blues music will blend together at Zhijiang Dream Factory in performance called “Dance for Haiti” benefiting the international humanitarian disaster response in Haiti.
This performance featured six Shanghai-based bands with different styles and nationalities. “Local music mingled with international elements makes people easier to stick together for Haiti,” Carl Siegel, the main organizer of the event, told the Global Times. He is the publicist of “Lions of Puxi”, a Shanghai-based reggae band founded in 2008.
“The idea for this event came from a fan’s email sent to the Lions of Puxi’s webpage asking if the Lions would perform for free to raise money for aid in Haiti,” explains the event’s co-promoter Nathaniel Mallon, “Rather than make it a Lions show, we thought why not throw a big show, with all types of music, with all types of fans. Let’s gather the masses.”
To increase awareness for disaster relief, the organizers, with the help of partners Touchevent and the Shanghai offices of international NGOs Habitat for Humanity and Bean, gathered five other bands in two days.
“We’re showcasing the best in local music, keeping hearty and hopeful in times of catastrophe, while recognizing the gravity of the situation,” Mr Siegel said.
Fused skillfully with traditional Xinjiang sounds, the rock band Weghur’s lyrics emphasize the challenges of life.
Another band made up of four friends from different parts of the world: Italy, Ecuador, USA, and Hungary. They play their own style of rock, which fuses memorable pop melodies with intelligent lyrics and excellent musical ability. “What makes me excited is, although coming from different countries, we are in the same place to do the same thing.” one of the band members said.
From fast tempo swing to samba, waltz to Eastern European folk, Latin jazz to gypsy melodies, two French guitar players and a double-bass player from the US have impacted the local jazz scene in their own special way.
“Music can reach the hearts both ones who give aids and accept aids,” said Eric Arndt, the general manager of Habitat for Humanity in Shanghai and a big music fan. He came to Shanghai one and a half years ago and quickly became fond of many local bands.
According to Eric, Habitat for Humanity has been at work in Haiti for 26 years and they are currently offering materials and tools for the people in Haiti to repair damaged homes and build transitional housing. Habitat for Humanity also provided lots of vital assistance to the victims of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
China has made a promise to send Haiti 30 million yuan ($4.39 million) worth of emergency relief materials including medicines, tents, food, drinking water, water purifying facilities and clothes.
