WOMAD 2009 Featured Artist: Sa Dingding (China)

Sa Dindings concertperformances are dazzling affairs with Kung Fu styledancers, stunning costumes Rosetta Stone outlet and in the midst of it all songsborne of Chinese folk music combined with Westernelectronica. Sa Dingding has been called Chinas answer toBjork or Kate Bush. Not only a multi-instrumentalist shesings in four languages and won a BBC Radio Three award forBest Asia/Pacific Act.With her unmistakable unique voiceand distinctive musical vision, Sa Dingding represents anoriginal creative passion affected by ethnic diversity andshaped by a modern China. As a singer, musician, composerand choreographer, Sa Dingding owes her original style to anintriguing background and array of diverse interests. Bornin Mongolia to a Mongolian mother and Chinese father, shewas fascinated by ethnic-minority music styles from a youngage. At age 18, she released her debut album, Rosetta Stone Spanish Spain and quicklyearned repute as the Best Dance Music Singer in China.By 1998, her curiosity in Buddhism, Dyana Yoga and Sanskritunleashed her creative spirit and pushed her musicalboundaries. Buddhism taught her to express with her heartand connect with nature, the meditations of yoga built upher inner peace and spiritual being, and learning Sanskritencouraged her to create her own language, where new wordsformed from emotions evoked by music. She is also wellversed in Tibetan chanting and chorus singing in thenear-extinct Lagu language. Rosetta Stone Spanish V3 Her secret to honing so manydisciplines is solemnity. Loneliness is the best way forme to become more creative, she says.Clickto enlargeDingdings talents havebeen recognised with the most prestigious invitations andcollaborations on offer in her country. Shes a regularperformer at CCTV and MTV events, including the 2006 MTVStyle Gala and 8th CCTV-MTV Video Music Awards. In 2005,after meeting the highly respected American musician Eric T.Johnson of the Recording Academy (that presents the GrammyAwards), she was invited to visit the US, representing Chinafor an exchange trip in culture and musiccommunication. Now, having won best artist forAsia/Pacific at the BBC Radio 3 World Music Awards in the UKand countless plaudits through the [ Rosetta Stone Software ] UK press and media,Dingding has live shows in Europe never imagined for such anartist of this genre from the Far EastSigned to UniversalMusic in 2006, she is a very special choice to lead Chinaonto the world stage. With engaging beauty and gracefulreverence, Dingding makes getting lost in translation a wonderful experience in unexpected pleasure.