New sounds for ancient instrument(2)

"Forget about the melancholy, conventional traditional Chinese music you've heard before. I have the modern traditional Chinese music for you," he says confidently.

He started learning yueqin, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument, which belongs to the same family of ruan, at 6 years old with his father, Feng Shaoxian, an accomplished performer of yueqin. Feng considers his dad "a major influence and inspiration in my life and work".

At 15, he joined China National Orchestra and started playing ruan. He didn't immediately love the instrument because the ruan was just an accompanying instrument in the orchestra and he felt his talent was constrained there.

Then he formed a rock band, White Angel, in 1987, along with Liu Yijun, and Zang Tianshuo. In 1989, the band released an album Rock in the Past and the same year, Cui Jian, the Chinese godfather of rock 'n' roll, became an iconic figure among Chinese rock fans.

"I had long hair and rushed to rehearse with the band after work every day and I was happy," he recalls. "I was totally unacceptable in the eyes of my father and my colleagues in the orchestra."

His pioneering practice in rock music also inspired his research on traditional Chinese music and ruan.

When he was invited to perform on a popular TV show on China Central Television, Amazing Chinese, he sang an iconic song by Cui Jian, Girl in The Flower Room, on his ruan. The performance was a big success and Feng joked that he became a star at age 52.

"I feel proud of my son. He has surpassed me," says his 75-year-old father.

"When I went backstage the first time, many people asked me what the instrument was. That made be feel like I had made the right choice," Feng says.

"Some of my friends doubted my decision to perform on an entertainment show. But my purpose was simple. I just want to let people see the instrument and know its sound. After that, they will be curious to know the history and hear more music from it."

After his Beijing performance, Feng will take a break in May and consider his next plan on how to further spread the instrument and his musical innovation.

"I want to keep the instrument alive and popularize it," he says.

IF YOU GO

Forbidden City Concert Hall, inside Zhongshan Park, west of Tian'anmen Square, Xicheng district, Beijing.

7:30 pm, April 29.

010-6559-8285.