Shunza teams up with jazz band for China concerts
Print Edition
CHINESE singer-songwriter Shunza, who is known for her voice and love ballads, will kick off 10 concerts in China along with well-known jazz funk group The Red Groove Project.
Since her debut 19 years ago, Shunza has released numerous albums in mandarin, Japanese, English and French. At the 10th Golden Melody Awards she was hailed as the “Best Female Singer” and “Best Composer.”
She has also earned three Golden Melody Award nominations.
Shunza’s first performance under the JZ banner is scheduled for June 24 at the Sennheiser Shanghai Concert Hall. The tour will cover other cities in China including Ningbo, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xiamen and Xi’an.
For this tour, Shunza will team up with Lawrence Ku, the founder of Red Groove Project, and whose members come from all over the world. The style of their music is more international — funk, rock, pop, soul, jazz, reggae and even melodies from South America.
“No one is more excited about our Shanghai concert than me and my incredible Band: Red Groove Project! Let’s continue to support Music From The Heart!” Shunza said on her Weibo post ahead of her concert.
Q: What songs will you present in your upcoming concert in Shanghai?
A: Audiences will definitely get to hear my beloved songs like “Write a Song,” “Come Home,” “Dear Friend” and “Grandma.” I will also sing others’ works, including Lawrence Ku’s, the leader and guitarist of the band, who is also my good friend.
Q: Anything special that we can expect in the upcoming show?
A: Improvising — this is the spirit and feature of jazz music and live show, also the most precious part of jazz. I am so excited to cooperate with the Red Groove Project, which is an amazing band. They have rich experience in performing and the members are international and super-talented.
As they perform almost every week, they will not be nervous but I have not been performing for a while, so I have to practice very hard at home.
Different from my previous concert, the upcoming one will provide musicians more time for solo performances.
Q: You have been in the music industry for almost 20 years. What made you decide to join JZ Music this time?
A: I am very lucky that my first album “Come Home” was a hit in the 90s. But I felt a little bit lost since then. I am always looking for challenges and improvising at live show stage.
I left for the US with my family when I was a child. I remember in my childhood, my parents didn’t allow me to watch TV, only radio — a typical Chinese family. I was deeply influenced by the music of Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston, and the music styles of jazz and blues. I also studied jazz music in Europe and the US.
I was known by Chinese’s fans as a pop singer, but I have the blood of jazz. I hope to be a real musician, an artist, rather than merely a pop star.
And I also feel that I have the responsibility, the mission to introduce jazz to young people — fans of pop music also should know about the history and origin of music.
Q: Besides music, what have you been busy with recently?
A: I have home in the United States and Paris as well. I enjoy my life very much. During the last Chinese Spring Festival in Paris, Ren Yuqing, the director of JZ Music, visited me with his family. We spent a very happy family dinner on the Chinese New Year’s Eve — my mother and I cooked Chinese jiaozi to treat my friends. It ended with our cooperation with JZ Music.
I have also been involved in a lot of charity activities.
Q: Reality TV shows are very popular now. Have you ever considered participating in these shows?
A: I will accept them if there are invites from some good shows. But I do hope I can pass on real music knowledge to people who love music. If you are facing a camera all the time, some presentations is for the show rather than a really about music.
Shunza & The Red Groove Project China Tour “Come Home”
Date: Through June 24, 7:45pm
Venue: Sennheiser Shanghai Concert Hall (Jinling Middle Road 88)
Tickets: 80-1,280 yuan
Website: https://247tickets.cn/tickets/jz-summer-night-shunza-rgp
Hotline: 4008918182
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