Bobby’s songs

Since the 1970s, this 10-time Grammy-Award winning musician has never stopped developing his musical talents. And on the night of February 29 Bobby McFerrin will be in Shanghai for his first-ever concert in the city at the Shanghai Concert Hall. Last year McFerrin appeared at the World Science Festival in New York to discuss the relationship between music and the human brain as part of a group of experts and scholars.

An article in the Guardian about the event said: "He jumped up and down on the spot and sang a note, getting the audience to sing along. He then moved to his left and got the audience to sing a higher note. Before long he was skipping around half a dozen positions, orchestrating a roomful of people purely by gesture."

Online sensation

This astonishing and hilarious performance quickly became a viral hit on YouTube.

McFerrin was born in New York in 1950 to parents who were both classical musicians. He began studying piano at the age of six, although he didn't release his first album until the relatively ripe age of 27.

His 1988 worldwide hit "Don't Worry, Be Happy" not only brought him international fame but also summed up his attitude: that people should try to find freedom in music.

When talking about his own feelings towards performing, McFerrin told the Guardian: "I love to sing and I love to be adventurous. It's like the thrill of your first hang-gliding experience, standing on top of a mountain and getting ready to jump off. You've got faith in this big kite at the back of you."

McFerrin has sung in duets and trios with many jazz musicians and instrumentalists. He also conducts orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the London Philharmonic and the Vienna Philharmonic among many others.

He has worked with the renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma performing Bach's string works, adding to these pieces with his unique vocal accompaniment without lyrics. He named the performance "Swinging Bach."

McFerrin has also made documentaries for American Public Radio (APR) about music and psychology alongside the well-known neuroscientist Daniel Levitin. But among the succession of his accomplishments, perhaps the most notable are his solo shows as a vocalist.

As a conductor, McFerrin has trained alongside the greats such as Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa and Gustav Meier, yet he has never followed a traditional route in this art. While on the podium, he always combines serious conducting of classical pieces with his own, unique vocal improvisations. And often at the end of a concert, he will invite the audience to stand up and join in the vocalization with him.

Breaking down barriers

"I've always wanted to break down the barrier between performers and their audience," he told the Guardian. "It's something I've been doing as part of my solo shows for years, and it seems to work everywhere I go. We're a roomful of strangers and music is the one thing that binds us together, making us an instant community. I'd like to think that people leave my concerts realizing that they know a lot more about music than they thought they did."

Liang Qin, a professor at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, told the Global Times that all of McFerrin's improvisational music techniques on stage and his interaction with audiences should not simply be understood from a technical point of view, but also as a representation of high artistic quality and strong musical vitality.

Liang said that, like many improvisational performers, McFerrin always seeks out the excitement and feeling of freshness that music can offer. "Although sometimes it might be a little dangerous, they believe only an adventurous musical journey will guarantee vitality and keep them feeling passionate about music forever."

At the concert McFerrin will sing "From Me to You," "Another Night in Tunisia," "Don't Worry, Be Happy," and also his own interpretation of Bach/Gounod's Ave Maria.

Date: February 29, 7:30 pm

Venue: Shanghai Concert Hall

上海音乐厅

Address: 523 Yan'an Road East

延安东路523号

Tickets: 80 to 1,280 yuan

Call 6217-3055 for details