Chinese Folk Music Concert at the 22nd Macau International Music Festival

On Sunday, October 26, 2008, four indigenous choral and dance groups from mainland China – Tu Brothers and Miao Sisters from Yichang in Hubei Province, Yuxi Nie'er Bamboo Music Ensemble of Yuxi City Cultural Center, The Dong Group from the Dimen Dong Cultural Eco-museum and the Miao Group Dou-Die-Dou-a – literally turned Mount Fortress from an idle structure into a dynamic world cultural heritage. Although I was on an emotional high note watching the beautiful girls from the Yuxi Nie'er Bamboo Music Ensemble and their sexy skirts during the first half of the performance, the primitive yet powerful Dong and Miao music during the second part of the performance truly touched my heart as they were incontrovertible faithful to their history, traditions and spirituality. The large lusheng (bamboo pipes more than 3 meters in length) proved to be a dazzling presence on stage, even when the performer accidentally hit the lighting draws a big round of applause. This definitely fits my definition of a great evening out – great music, culture at a historical monument, and free admission tickets.