The recently concluded Zhangjiajie International Country Music Week was enjoyed by one and all and has been hailed a great success.
Musicians perform at the closing ceremony of the Zhangjiajie International Country Music Week on May 18, 2009. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]
By Tian Tian
The recently concluded Zhangjiajie International Country Music Week was enjoyed by one and all and has been hailed a great success.
The 2009 Zhangjiajie International Country Music Week wrapped up successfully Monday afternoon in a local theater, with members from American trio Lucy Angel and Australian performer Grant Luhrs reprising John Denver's classic "Take Me Home, Country Roads", which resulted in a standing ovation from the enthusiastic and passionate audience.
As unveiled at the closing awards ceremony, the winner's line-up included Mariza Koch, Cyril Niccolai, and Grant Luhrs as the Best Singers, while the Best Instrumental Performance award went to Megan Sheehan from Tennessee and the Santa Fe Art Ensemble from New Mexico. The Pond Pirates from Austria grabbed the award for Best Performance, together with Korean minority art group and local performers from Zhangjiajie.
African drumming rhythms and percussion music turned out to be a big winner of the week as both the dance troupe from Guinea and the Drum Cafe from South Africa were selected as the favorite troupes.
The finale was brought to a climax as American country music singer and guitarist Mark Levine played a tailor-made "Zhangjiajie Song". The lyrics included "the International Country Music Festival was enjoyed by one and all, and if able to join the show, I am sure you'll have a ball..."
Mark Levine was awarded a special honor and received a trophy from Mr. Ye Wenzhi, the general designer of the music week and general manager of the Yellow Dragon Cave Investment Co. Ltd, which sponsored this grand event.
The country music week that ran from May 14-18 gathered together 24 foreign bands and seven distinguished performing troupes from domestic ethnic groups. They toured around the natural scenic spots in the wonderland of Zhangjiajie and treated tourists to an unparalleled feast of music, which was so intriguing and diverse.
Even the occasional downpour of spring rain in this mountainous area could not dampen people's excitement and enthusiasm. Musicians, music lovers and tourists were all brought together by the unifying force of the music.
Besides the week-long non-stop music, a bonfire party on Sunday night in front of a record crowd and impromptu performances from time to time by musicians from different countries in the hotel's lobby were also highlights of the week.
Both participants and tourists commented on how insignificant the language barrier was as people communicated with each other through music.
Mark Levine, who because of his busy schedule only made it to the show at the last moment, said the final show was even better than he expected.
"The audience was very excited, the halls were filled, performers gave very good shows, the general mood, the happy atmosphere and they showed a lot of people the real benefits of bringing musicians from all over the world to play in such a beautiful place. I've never been to Zhangjiajie before but I'll never stop talking about it..."
The Next Country Music Week May Come Next Summer
Mr. Ye said the music week was a high quality event and those involved are very satisfied. However, he stressed there is still room for improvement and they will try to do an even better job next time.
The Zhangjiajie International Country Music Week was originally scheduled for every two years. Concerning the next country music week, Mr. Ye disclosed, they may consider adjusting the time arrangement and personally, he would prefer to have a second great week by the end of August and earlier September of 2010.
Previously, a first-ever cartoon image of Zhangjiajie's mayor Zhao Xiaoming in the promo ads for this country music week stirred up heated discussion online. The mayor cleared up rumors spread online during a press conference on May 16 and denied it was a hype on his own individual publicity. The mayor reaffirmed he took his cartooned image as an active try to promote both his official responsibility and his own city.
In response, Mr. Ye notified that the new try, also a way of self-marketing, proved to be appealing and was acclaimed by foreign friends. The cartoon image of the mayor has changed people's impression on the stereotype of Chinese cities and they find Zhangjiajie a city which is quite open and creative.
Ye added, "We will not only focus on the present but also look forward in the longer term to making Zhangjiajie a well-known center of active cultural exchange within and outside China and in this way, can we promote the city to the outside world."
Musicians perform at the closing ceremony of the Zhangjiajie International Country Music Week on May 18, 2009. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]
Musicians perform at the closing ceremony of the Zhangjiajie International Country Music Week on May 18, 2009. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]
Musicians perform at the closing ceremony of the Zhangjiajie International Country Music Week on May 18, 2009. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com]