Nǐ hǎo, huānyíng guānglín! (Hello and Welcome!) were the greetings that echoed.
I was graced with the opportunity to experience the culture of China through performances by the Shenzhen Arts Company, orchestrated by the Ministry of Community Development, Culture and the Arts in collaboration with the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in TT.
The National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA), Port of Spain on Monday 25th September, 2017 came to life with the sounds of China as citizens attentively soaked up an enriching concert displaying some of the country’s finest talent.
The Performances included authentic Chinese art forms with renditions of songs and dances, instrumental music and award winning acrobatics. A magic show, also carded for the event, did not happen due to the magician falling ill. Disappointing to hear, but a fulfilling show nonetheless.
Every detail down to the lighting and choreography was exceptional. The acrobat presentations were phenomenal. The performers found themselves in interesting positions, which heavily relied a lot on upper body strength yet it was done so gracefully. The musical instruments evoked sounds that conveyed so much emotion, it told a story.
One of the performers in her presentation exclaimed, “I would like you all to sing along with me, and I know everyone knows this song”. My automatic response was is she going to sing a soca? To my surprise, I heard her belt out the words “one love one heart let’s get together and feel alright. Urging the audience to sing along, they harmoniously joined in and sang. It was a very special moment.I would of love to share with you snapshots from the show however, pictures/recordings were prohibited.
The concert allowed me to have a greater appreciation to understand the Chinese culture. Trinidad and Tobago has so many diverse cultures embedded into the fabric of our nation, which makes us unique. It’s lovely to see us all embracing one another’s culture. I urge you to see the next show, or look out for any upcoming cultural events.
And always remember,
love your journey.