Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn in concert
Saturday April 5 - University of Notre Dame
Good morning, afternoon, and evening,
Banjo player Abigail Washburn and I are giving a concert at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana on Saturday April 5 at 7:30pm, presented by Debartolo Performing Arts Center.
Since Abby and I are both mothers, our children keep us really busy. So when we get to play, it feels like a vacation for us :)
We will mostly be playing material from our duo record “Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn” with some new and improvised songs. The record was released on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings in 2020. You can hear the album and read more about the making of the album on Smithsonian Folkways’ website here (English and Chinese).
Among all the reviews this record has received including The Guardian, The New York Times, NPR etc., the one from the Chicago Reader in May 2020 parallels to what’s happening today:
“Trump hates China in order to better hate the United States; by blaming the Chinese for the virus, he can pretend he’s not at fault for our own dead and our own misery. In that poisoned atmosphere, the new self-titled album by Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn isn’t just a relief but a call to solidarity. Born in Beijing and based in Nashville, Fei plays the guzheng, a traditional Chinese zither, while Washburn plays clawhammer-style banjo. Their songs are amalgamations and/or medleys of traditional tunes from Appalachia and China, with vocals sung in English and Chinese. Though the high-lonesome traditions they draw from were established continents apart, the duo’s keening voices and the sustained plucked notes of their instruments weave around each other in such a way that the synthesis seems effortless .….. In doing so, they’ve declared their love not only for these musical traditions but also for themselves, for others, and for a world where people can thrive together despite those who seek to divide them.”
If you or your friends study or live in or near South Bend, Indiana where the University of Notre Dame is located, we’d love to see you at this concert! Info and tickets are here.
Wu Fei 吴非
wufeimusic.com
🥰