Bian Liunian has over the last three decades been one of China’s most active contemporary musical producers and composers. He has composed some of the most important popular music of China. For more than 20 years he served as the Artistic Director of China’s Central Television’s Spring Festival Musical Gala the most watched broadcasting program on Chinese Central Television. Bian was the musical producer-composer for some of China’s biggest events, including the closing ceremony in Beijing in 2008 Olympics. Over the last two decades Bian Liunian has visited Norway on numerous occassions mesmerizing the audience with his dazzliing performances on the Chinese Two Stringed Fiddle – Erhu.
Bian became an important contributor in 2004 of the 50 years anniversary celebration of China Norway Diplomatic Relations in a unique musical exchange program broadcasted on both the Chinese (CCTV) and Norwegian (NRK) television broadcasting channels.The program included a host of prominent Norwegian musical personalities such as Knut Buen, Knut Reiersrud, Rolf Løvland (Secret Garden) , Mari Boine, Hans Fredrik Jacobsen and Tone Hulbækmo. In 2007 on the anniversary of Edward Grieg’s passing he toured Norway with the National Concert Tour and Norway’s profiled violinist Henning Grakkerud and Pianist Christian Ihle Hadland.
GULIXIAT 天山雪莲
Gulixiat -“Guli”- is one of China’s most profiled female vocalists & instrumentalist from the Uigur Ethnic Group of the Xinjiang province of northwest China. She was the first from her city of Kashgar to graduate from the Vocal Performances Department of the prestigious Beijing National Music Conservatory. Since her graduation she has specialized and become a master of the stringed instrument Satar – one of the most beautifully bowed stringed instruments belonging to the Uyugur Ethnic Group. She has since been an important musical ambassador for the Uygur people’s music culture touring widely in China with musical stage performances and on national and regional television. Guli participated in the musical exchange program on the occassion of the 2004 Norway China 50 years Anniversary celebration of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
HUSILE 呼斯乐
HUSILE (呼斯乐) is a native of Inner Mongolia of the PR of China and a master of the Mongolian Horsehead Fiddle called Morin Khuur. He studed at the Inner Mongolia Xing’an League Art School and the Inner Mongolia Nationalities College and subsequently became a member of the National Orchestra of Inner Mongolia Opera and Dance Theater in 2002 . He has since played at major venues and television performances throughout China.
With his expert skill and incredible musicality Husile delivers a spellbinding performance on the Morin Khuur demonstrating the hauntingly beautiful sound of this unique bowed string instrument showcasing the instrument’s timbre and resonance that takes the audience on a mesmerizing musical journey through the rich cultural heritage of Mongolia.
KAMAL SABRI
As India’s towering SARANGI MAESTRO Kamal Sabri , as the seventh generation of a distinguished family of traditional musicians. has brought a profound versatility to the playing of the Indian Sarangi. From the tender age of 5 years and very soon this child prodigy made waves in the musical world with his musical talent. His musical brilliance and talent also gained immense popularity amongst eminent classical vocalists.
Kamal has also made his mark on the international musical scene participating in numerous international festivals mostly in Europe and Asia. Kamal, was invited several times to show case his musical skills by the BBC, Radio France, Radio Pakistan, Radio Switzerland, Radio Italy, Radio Barbados, Finnish Broadcasting Company Finland, NRK Norway several times. This is Kamal’s third appearance at the Mela Festival where he will again captivate the audience and this time in this unique meeting of Asian Masters of bowed stringed instruments from India, Nepal and China..
PRINCE NEPALI
Born into the Gandharba folk music tradition of Nepal, Prince Nepali is the fourth generation in his family to play the sarangi — a unique bowed instrument from Nepal. He began playing music at the age of four with his father, renowned sarangi player Shyam Nepali, and quickly developed a style of his own. Prince has brought the sarangi to many different styles of music including jazz, irish fiddling, folk music from Azerbaijan, and accompanying Nepali-Indian singer-songwriters. He performs regularly with internationally known artists such as Bipul Chettri, Ani Choying Drolma (UNICEF National Ambassador) and Deepak Bajracharaya.
He has performed on stages worldwide including in Australia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Japan and many more. In addition to performing, Prince is a sought-after sarangi instructor and music educator. He has taught sarangi to the musical troops of the Nepali army, currently teaches early music education at the Kevin Rohan Memorial Eco Foundation (a renowned Waldorf school in Nepal), and is the founder of Sarangi Ghar, an initiative to share sarangi music worldwide.
RAMAN MAHARJAN
Raman Maharanj is one of the most profiled bamboo flute players in Asia. He has toured extensively in Asia, Europe and the United States together with the Newari folk music group Vajra and blissful performances with the world renowned nepali Buddhist Nun Anni Choying Drolma.
With Vajra Raman has toured Norway playing with flutist Hans Fredik Jacobsen and the legendary gutarist Knut Reiersrud and together they produced the musical album Himalaya Blues. Raman currently resides in Kathmandu, where he teaches folk and contemporary music to Nepalese youth.
Sino Nordic Cultural Productions 