Ji Rong Huang and his erhu. | Photo courtesy of Vancouver Inter-cultural Orchestra

The humble banjo might seem like an unlikely candidate to be the focus of a multicultural musical showcase, but at Bang Danjos, a Nov. 16 concert at the Vancouver Playhouse, it will be just that. This colourful music festival, led by the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble, will take traditional Chinese and Japanese banjos and marry them with the modern influences of the western banjo to create a unique sound and experience for the audience.

“This concert is composed of 30 musicians and it is meant to showcase the colors of traditional and modern Chinese banjo to our audience,” says Ji Rong Huang, musical director of the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble.

Tap dancer Dayna Szyndrowski will be performing alongside the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble. | Photo courtesy of Dayna Szyndrowski

Bang Danjos will showcase the diversity of Chinese traditional music from different parts of China, while also adding more ‘spice, hue and intensity’ to the concert by including Japanese banjo, modern Chinese banjo, and western banjo – all accompanied by the performance of local tap dancer Dayna Szyndrowski. These segments highlight the influences of bluegrass, classical, and folk rock, mashing up the different regional styles of Chinese banjo with modern styles of western music.

Musical accents

Each region in China has its own distinct way of playing certain musical instruments, according to Huang. In fact, he suggests that the differences in regional accents are mirrored in differences in musical styles.

“For example, the north of China plays Chinese banjo with a very heavy vibration and a very strong accent, whereas in the south part of China, the instrument is played a lot softer with lower vibration. The way this instrument is played is related to how people speak Chinese in the north of China versus the south.”

The Chinese banjo is just one of many instruments that will be featured in Bang Danjos. Others will include the tugaru shamisen or “Japanese banjo,” the erhu or “Chinese violin” and the hulusi, a wind instrument from Yunnan in southern China.

A long and diverse history

Huang, who will play the erhu at the concert, started to learn Chinese traditional music at a very young age. His eyes sparkled with great pride when he described the erhu, for him a unique and enchanting musical instrument. It is made of snakeskin and wood, which allows the sound of the instrument to imitate the softness of a human voice. Its history goes back more than a thousand years – it is believed to have been invented in the 10th century.

Bang Danjos will once again remind Vancouverites of the access they have to culturally rich manifestations of art and music. The concert will take the audience on an alluring artistic journey which will colourfully sketch the diversity and authenticity of Chinese banjo.

For more information,

please visit the Vancouver Chinese Music Ensemble website at

http://www.vancouverchinesemusic.ca