SQUEEZING a 22-piece Chinese orchestra onstage at The Boardwalk in Sheffield might sound a bit of a tall order - but that's just what musical maverick Jah Wobble is promising in his latest ambitious project.
Commissioned by the city of Liverpool to celebrate its reign as the European Capital of Culture, the Jah Wobble Chinese Dub tour combines Wobble's trademark dub with Chinese melodies and instrumentation. The 22-piece outfit features singers from Tibe
t and Yunnan Province, dancers from Hangzhou, Sichuan Opera Mask Changers, and an Anglo-Chinese dub band made up of bass, drums, guzheng, yangchin, bamboo flute, and gourd pipe.
Wang Jingqi, from the Mao ethnic minority of China (part of Yunnan Province), and Tibetan Gu Ying Ji, provide vocals; Zi Lan Liao, internationally acclaimed guzheng (Chinese zither) player, flautist Clive Bell, guitarist Chris Cookson, drummer Mark Sanders, and percussionist Neville Murray join Jah Wobble in the Anglo-Chinese dub band.
The music is accompanied by displays of two ancient Chinese performing arts: Tang Dynasty Dance, and Mask Change, a specialty of Sichuan Opera.
The Boardwalk gig, on Monday July 7, promises to be a night to remember. Tickets are priced at £15 and are available by calling 0871 2301095.
For a taste of what to expect check out the 7-track Chinese Dub EP, available free as an MP3 stream via
30hertzrecords.com.
