Biography
In 2000 the indie folk quartet Shanren came together deep inside China’s remote Yunnan province. Now headquartered in Beijing, the musicians weave indigenous traditions with rock, reggae, and ska, relying on such heritage instruments as the four-stringed xiangzi and the xianggu drum. Personnel drawn from ethnic minorities—the Wa and Buyi of Yunnan and Guizhou provinces—allow the band to embed those regional folk legacies throughout their sound. Fronted by guitarist and singer Qu Zihan together with bassist Ai Yong, drummer Ou Jianyun, and multi-instrumentalist Xiao Bu Dian, Shanren issued their self-titled debut album in 2009. High-energy concerts quickly built a devoted following at home, prompting further tours across Europe that included festival stops in Spain, France, and the U.K. Their second full-length effort, Left Foot Dance of the Yi and Other Chinese Folk-Rock Anthems, appeared worldwide in 2014.
Albums
