Pipa, Chinese Music Instrument

Following last week’s launch of Music Monday on my site, I have a special treat for music lovers today.

I first heard “Language of Pipa” a few years ago, which was the theme tune of a TV drama series I happened to be watching on Phonix TV. It was also the film score for “Letter to a Strange Woman”. The melodies were so beautiful, soulful and moving that it plucked my heart strings and made it sing. I could not help but falling in love with it instantly.

Eve Zhao, a talented Yangqin (扬琴, hammered dulcimer) player, who happens to be a fan of my books, sent me a piece of music which she played and recorded especially for me, and to my delight, it was precisely the Language of Pipa, one of my most favourite contemporary Chinese music performances.

Yangqin, Chinese Instrument

I was in the middle of making a video for my research trip to Fujian Province in 2011, so I chose this piece to accompany the photos I took during that wonderful visit. Coincidentally, the composer/pianist Lin Hai originally came from that part of China. I could not have picked a better theme for Land of Hope, the final serving of my “Journey to the West” trilogy, scheduled to release in September 2012.

If you are a new follower of my blog, please read A Tale of Two Cities – Changle and Fuqing in Southern China, which will tell you more about my unforgettable field trip to beautiful Fujian.

Click below and enjoy Eve Zhao’s wonderful rendition of the “Language of Pipa”.

I have done my little research and found quite a few interesting facts. It was originally written as a Pipa solo, but it has been played by a number of gifted musicians using different Chinese instruments, including Guzheng (古筝 ) and Yangqin, as well as Piano. If you go searching on YouTube, you’ll find at least dozens of different interpretations by as many different artists. I’ve selected a couple for you to enjoy, above and below.

琵琶语 Pipa Solo: 蒋彦 – Language Of Pipa