Chinese schoolchildren mimicking the sound of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
02. Tibetan Wish
Traditional Tibetan song & lyric (arr. by D.Liang & A.Washburn)
Performed by sisters Garang & Langla Zuo
Based on a Tibetan lullaby.
Percussive elements recorded at daily performance for the Elderly People’s Activities Center Sichuan Opera.
03. Sala
Traditional Qiang lyric & melody (arr. by D.Liang & A.Washburn)
Performed by Luo Shuang (罗霜)
The Qiang ethnic minority (the group most impacted by the 2008 Sichuan earthquakes) traditionally dances around the fire while singing this song. The words contain no meaning and are simply meant to inspire dancing.
04. Dream Seek
Music by D.Liang & A.Washburn
Excerpt of poem "Chasing the Dream" (追逐梦想) by Luo Hongmei (罗红梅)
Poem read by Luo Hongmei (罗红梅)
This is the opening excerpt from a poem written by student Luo Hongmei about life during and since the earthquake.
05. Chinese Recess
Music by D.Liang, A.Washburn, & L. Shi
Sounds recorded at relocated Wenchuan Shuimou Middle School in Emeishan, Sichuan
Handclap game performed by sisters Garang & Lalang Zuo
06. Song for Mana
Lyrics & melody by unknown (arr. by D. Liang & A. Washburn)
Performed by Chen Honglin (陈红林)
Spoken words by his mother (李文秋)
Traditionally a Tibetan song (rewritten in modern times in Mandarin), this song is typically sung by a child who misses his mother. Chen Honglin’s performance of this song was so touching that it inspired us to seek out his parents and all the other students' parents back in Wenchuan County.
We arrived at their home on top of a mountain in Wenchuan on March 18, 2009. We saw that his parents were building their new home from the rubble of the old one and decided to incorporate these reconstruction sounds into the drumbeat. Honglin’s mom weeped when we played her the a cappella recording of her son singing. Honglin and his parents have been separated since last August when his school was relocated out of the earthquake zone. They don’t know when they will see each other again. The voice in the song is his mother saying, “Honglin, study hard so that you can keep on singing. Your mom and dad will always support you”, and at the end, “Mama will always support you.”
07. Little Birdie
Traditional lyrics & melody, translated into Chinese by A.Washburn (arr by D.Liang & A.Washburn)
Intro passage by relocated Guangji Kindergarten Class in Luoshui, Sichuan
Student sounds & voices from relocated Wenchuan Shuimou Middle School
Spoken word performed by sisters Garang & Lalang Zuo
A traditional American folk song that Abigail translated into Chinese and taught to Sichuan schoolchildren.
