Thank you for subscribing Wu Fei’s Music Daily! This is the 84th episode — Crab Song.
Crab Song (螃蟹歌) is a folk song from Zigong (自贡) in Sichuan. It was traditionally sung by workers who specialized in transporting large rocks down from quarries in the mountains. The song is sung in Sichuanese dialect.
Why Crab song? I think it’s because the workers looked like crabs when they move while carrying heavy stones.
This recording was made in Chengdu, Sichuan in 2013, by Wei Xiaoshi (魏小石) who is an ethnomusicologist friend of mine. He was working on a series field recording projects all over northwest China in 2013. I was living in Beijing at that time. One day, I received a call from Xiaoshi asking if I’d be interested in making a record with an 84-year old folk singer in Sichuan who was considered the king of folk song in the region.
Two weeks later, I got on a plane to Chengdu, with my entire family and began recording with Mr. Zhu Zhongqing (朱中庆), who sang the lead vocal in this recording. The rest of the male vocals are 5 singers from Sichuan Song and Dance Troupe (四川歌舞团) who were Mr. Zhu’s buddies. Most of them were older than 70, except me.
I played prepared guzheng in this track. None of the old singers had ever seen a guzheng used in an irregular way —prepared and improvisational. But no one cared. We had a blast playing together.
Chengdu has always been considered one of the most fun cities in China. So it was no brainer for my husband to want to come along with our 1-year old baby. We knew we were going to have a blast, and we did. Xiaoshi wrote an insightful blog about this collaboration here (in Chinese). I read it again today and it brought smiles and tears to my face.
Mr. Zhu passed away a few years ago. He still had a lot of dreams about making more music when he was nearly 90 years old. He was truly inspiring! I feel extremely lucky, grateful and honored to have had this opportunity to be enlightened by his passion and to absorb his wisdom for the joy of music and life!
I was reminded of Mr. Zhu and this happy time in Chengdu by the recent news of the closure of the U.S. consulate there. The country of my birth and my adopted country are at each other’s throats — it’s good to remember that there are wonderful people in both places.
Wu Fei 吴非
wufeimusic.com
During a rehearsal at Sichuan Song and Dance Troupe rehearsal hall. Photo By Liuxin
At the show I did with Mr. Zhu Zhongqing at Machu Picchu, Chengdu, 2013. Photo By Liuxin
Wei Xiaoshi in the recording session, photo By Liuxin
Chengdu was such a laid back city. I just left my gear on the side walk while we had hot pot with friends in the restaurant after a whole day of recording.
