Hi everyone,
I recorded this guzheng night song after thinking about a concert I played in Riohacha, Colombia two weeks ago.
Riohacha is a city in northern Colombia, where the Ranchería River meets the Caribbean Sea. It’s known for its native Wayúu people and for the colorful birds in the Flamingo Sanctuary southwest of the city. Central Padilla Square is home to 19th-century Cathedral of Our Lady of the Remedies, where I gave my solo concert at (photo below).
The concert was free to public. My friend Esteban, the manager of the Banco de la Republica in the city, told me that it’s very difficult to gather more than three hundred people for this city. However, the cathedral was fully packed with local residents who came out to see me — possibly the very first Chinese artist who played a traditional Chinese instrument in their city ever.
It was a very steamy summer night. There was no AC in the cathedral but fans everywhere helping people to cool down. I was soaked with sweat after playing the concert. But I was so moved by the response from the audience. They gave me a standing ovation.
There were small children to young teens, to women and men in their senior years. I was overwhelmed. Riohacha is not a very famous city outside of the Colombia. Even to some of the people I met in Bogotá hadn’t heard of Riohacha. It was a moving experience for me to represent so much more than myself to these incredibly warm people. They don’t get to see much of the world outside of Riohacha. When the world comes to them, they are hungry and thirsty to embrace and appreciate the art and beauty.
Wu Fei 吴非
Wufeimusic.com | hellogoldmountain.com | wufeimusic.substack.com
Photo by Jeremy Goldkorn
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