Ms. Jasmine Chen: My early classical piano education in China was definitely a great base for my later music studies, it influenced my music taste and style– old fashioned, and it helped me to understand being a musician is not easy, besides talent, it requires long hours of practice and focus. Being in England is like I stepped in to a whole different world, everything is different from my past experience, I got to learn a different language, music is the key, in Leeds college of music, I started to know jazz and immediate fell in love with it.
I love the sound of it, I love its freedom, and I loved working together with other music students as a band. The college gave us the freedom to choose what I like to do, we used college facilities to practice and record demos, the teachers gave me opportunities to perform in school and jazz clubs, these were my early experiences being a semi professional musician, and it was very important for me later, on becoming a professional.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You once said “I love Chinese music, but people don’t listen to Chinese folk songs much anymore. I would like to bring these songs back, except in a modern way,”. Tell us about this passion and endeavor of yours?
Ms. Jasmine Chen: I listened a lot Chinese folk music when I was a kid, because my parents were professional Chinese folk dancers, those folk melodies were beautiful, they were deep in my heart. when I was collaborating with Steve Sweeting, those melodies just came out naturally, it is such a pity that some of those were forgotten, so I suggested to him let’s try with a jazz and modern way, so there we go.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Tell us about the “Shanghai Week” Opening Ceremony 2011 at Sao Paulo, Brazil where you performed with Brazilian musician Filo Machado?
Ms. Jasmine Chen: The Shanghai Week opening ceremony was held in São Paulo Culture Centre Brazil in 2011, Chinese Ambassador to Brazil, Chinese Consul General in São Paulo and senior officials from Brazilian government attended the ceremony, together with hundred others. Filo and I performed both Chinese and Brazilian songs, it was actually our third collaboration, we had played two official concerts in Shanghai before, which were very successful.
The songs we chose from both China and Brazil, I had written Chinese lyric for some Brazilian songs, so Filo sung in Portuguese and I sung in Chinese, those were such wonderful times on the stage, the preparation and rehearsals before were also great, Filo is a master, I had learnt so much from him, I had a deeper understanding for Brazilian music and culture after I worked with him and visited Brazil.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Elaborate on your experiences of “Shanghai Night” Concert Series 2012 at Denmark, with music tour at Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Sonderborg?
Ms. Jasmine Chen: “Shanghai Night” series was for celebrating Chinese New Year at Denmark, I travelled together with the JZ Big Band from China, we were invited by China ministry of culture and Denmark government, performed Chinese songs mainly from 1930s to 1960s in jazz style in concert halls. Most of the local audience never heard Chinese jazz, it was a good opportunity to share our music with them during the special Chinese New Year time.
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