When Oud meets Pipa

"If one should desire to know a kingdom, the quality of its music will furnish the answer."

Confucius 
(China, 551 BC – 479 BC)

Confucius attached great value to music.

2,500 years later, music is what animates Mey Ling's daily life.

Over the past few days spent with her in Kunming, I have seen her play her instrument the Pipa with grace and teach it with passion.

I found a determined and inspiring woman, rooted in both the past and the present, engaged in practices like calligraphy, traditional music, tea ceremonies... all while being an English speaker, a fan of musical improvisation, and highly connected through her WeChat application!

Could she be a reflection of her own country, China?

In "When Oud meets Pipa" we open a small door, in a rhythm highlighting the contrast between tradition and modernity in China.